Child of Grimm
by Codyknight22
Summary: He's a monster, an abomination, a walking nightmare. But being thrust into Beacon is giving him a chance to get revenge at those that have done this to him. Will he survive the assignment of teams? Or will he fail and lose what he wants? This is me reposting a story that I deleted on accident.
1. Chapter 1

Child of Grimm Ch. 1

**This is my fixed version of Something More Then a Faunus. The reason I wanted to make a fixed version is the fact that I screwed up while writing and made it almost impossible for me to write the Emerald Forest part, and it was just overall not very well written. But here we go, and I hope that this will turn out better. Also, I may change some other names around. **

He was standing alone, at the back of the airship. He had found the one part of the ship that allowed him to be shaded from the general view of the people in the airship. He had angled himself to be able to see out the window, but not be seen by others. _I'm safe right now. No one will know me for at least today. _He found his mind wandering to his last day at Signal.

_Signal Academy_

He walked into the school, hoping that they didn't see him, that no one would see him. That was just too much to hope for. He was wearing his gray hoodie, with his gray long sleeved shirt, along with his normal jeans, all in hopes of covering up as much of him as possible. He walked down the halls, discouraged by the overall thought of this day. He could escape into classes sometimes, but that wasn't an option today. It was purely a celebration day for those that had gotten into Beacon, and a day of misery for those that didn't. He didn't feel like celebrating, all he felt was misery.

"Hey snake boy," he heard someone call out to him. He turned his head to the left slightly, catching sight of what he feared to catch sight of. A group of three boys and two girls, all of them dressed in leather jackets. "Yeah I knew you'd hear us snake boy." _If they want a fight, let them fight me. I'm much too strong for them._

As apposed to fighting, they just started heckling him. _It only took them four years, but they've learned their lesson. _In the past, he would of have tried to steer them towards groups of faunus to see if they would go away from him. But what he was was much worse then a faunus, and that was something they took great care to point out.

"His mother must of have been a whore to birth him," one of the girls said. He stopped walking, and stared at the bullies. "That got your attention snakey." He calmly put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Leave him alone," said a voice from behind him. He turned to see a well muscled girl standing there.

"The fucking guard dog is here to save the day," one of the bullies said.

"Back off," the girl continued. The bullies all started to walk past them, hissing at the boy as they did.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked the boy. He replied with silence. "Are you okay?" She repeated. More silence. "Derek are you okay?" He realized that she wouldn't leave him alone until he responded.

"I'm fine," he replied. "They can't hurt me anyway."

"I'm more concerned about your mental health."

"I'm fine Monica."

"If it makes you feel any better, none of those idiots made it into Beacon." _Like I'm supposed to care. A new group will take their place, one always does. _"Did you make it into Beacon?" _Of course I did. I'm a freak, an abomination, a monster. They want to see what the monster can do. _

"I got in," he finally replied.

"Great. We can go together." _Oh no. I was hoping she had gotten accepted elsewhere, but I guess I have no such luck. I've never had luck. _

"Attention students," a voice called out from the loud speaker. "Will everyone who got accepted into Beacon please report to the auditorium, and all family of those students please report as well. The ceremony for those that have made it is about to commence."

"Come on Derek," Monica said. "We have to get going."

"Why do you stick with me?" Derek asked. "Why not go hang out with someone else, like the blonde?" Monica ignored him and just started walking towards the auditorium. _I could just stay here. No one would miss me, and only Monica would know that I was gone. _He looked down the hall, and made his choice. He started to walk towards the auditorium.

_Present Day_

He was still standing at the back of the airship. No one had seen his face at that point, and he had no issue with that. The more he was alone, the better he felt.

"I was beginning to think that the logs were wrong," came a voice from behind him. He didn't have to turn to know who it was. _Why? Why can't she just leave me alone? _"Hey," Monica said. "Derek? Are you awake?" Silence. "I know you're awake." More silence. "Come on, don't act like you don't know it's me." _I do know it's you, that's why I'm ignoring you._

"Hey Monica," came a cheerful voice from behind him. He lifted his head slightly to see who was talking. _Oh great. It's the blonde. _Yes, Monica's friend, who Derek just referred to as the blonde. She always seemed to operate at 110% energy, and that bothered Derek. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Derek," Monica said, putting a hand on his shoulder. _No. I don't want to meet her. _"Who's your friend?" This caught Derek's attention. He lifted his head slightly to see a girl in a red hood standing behind the blonde.

"That's my little sister," the blonde replied. "Ruby, and I'm Yang. Nice to meet you Derek." He just remained in his corner. "Um, does he not like to meet people? My sister's like that."

"It's more like people aren't very excited to meet me," Derek finally said. Yang looked at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Are you a faunus?"

"I wish I could say that was it."

"Well," came a small voice. Derek lifted up his head enough to see that it was Ruby who had spoken. "Why don't you just turn and meet us?"

"If you two really want to know so badly," Derek said as he turned to face the sisters. They both gave out a gasp in surprise. Derek's entire face was covered in gray scales, as was the rest of his body. He had amber eyes that were slits, and a forked tongue.

"How are you not a faunus?" Ruby blurted.

"I'm a Child of Grimm," Derek replied. He recoiled at his own words. _Such a poetic name for such a gruesome thing._

"I think I've heard of you," Yang muttered. "Come on Ruby, I think we should leave him alone."

"Wait!" Ruby said. "What Grimm?"

"I don't think that's a-." Monica started.

"Taijitu," Derek lied. _Taijitu. So much easier then the truth _"Now will you three leave me alone?" He left as much of a threat in those words as he could. He heard the sounds of someone violently gagging, and he tilted his head in that direction. He saw an unimpressive, scraggly blonde boy that was walking around, with his hand up to his mouth. _Because this day couldn't get any worse. _He looked over to see that Monica, Ruby, and Yang had all left him alone. _Finally. Some peace._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

Child of Grimm Ch. 2

**So I started writing this before anything came in, so if something comes up it will be addressed at the end of the chapter.**

He exited the airship and looked around. The front of Beacon was crowded with new students, all of them looking around at the landscape. He payed no mind and just walked forward. He felt himself bump into someone, and he quickly moved out of the way.

"Watch it," said a prissy voice. _Well you sound lovely_

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't see you."

"Well maybe if you looked around, you would of have."

"I have my reasons to not want to see people, or have them see me."

"Do you know who you're talking too?" He lifted his head slightly, and his face contorted in disgust at the sight of the girl in front of him.

"Weiss Schnee," he said. "The heiress to the dust company, and someone whom I have no interest in interacting with." He quickly turned and walked away, leaving the heiress looking at him in surprise. _The less she knows about me, the better. I can't imagine what that company would do to me if they do what they do to faunus. _He kept walking, and eventually he bumped into someone else. _God damnit not again._

"I'm sorry," the person quickly said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's fine," he replied. "Neither was I." _Well she seems considerably more pleasant then the last one._

"I'm Pyrrha," the girl said. _That explains it. Pyrrha Nikos, the star student at Sanctum._

"Pyrrha," he repeated. "Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Yes. What's your name?"

"Derek." _Why are you telling her so much?_

"Can I see your face? You've had it under your hood this whole time."

"No. I must go now. It was nice meeting you." He turned and left Pyrrha standing there, stunned at what he had done. _That was easy. _He finally went into the auditorium, and found a dark corner in the back. _No one will see me here. I can just stand in silence. _But someone started standing within a few feet of him. _My luck can't be this bad. Maybe he won't see me. _But Derek had no such luck. The boy turned to face him, and he seemed a bit surprised.

"Oh hey," he said. "I didn't see you there." No reply. "I'm Nathan." Silence. "Why are you hiding?" An impatient breath. "I'm a faunus too?"

"What makes you think I'm a faunus?" Was Derek's reply.

"Why else would you hide? I'm a wolf faunus if it makes you feel more comfortable." He grinned, showing off a row of canine teeth and he swung himself around to reveal a tail. "What faunus are you?"

"I'm not."

"Oh. Then why are you hiding your face?"

"I'm worse, and I'd prefer to be left alone." Nathan wasn't having it, and he put his hand on Derek's shoulder and spun him around. He gave a small gasp of surprise at his face.

"How are you not a faunus?"

"I'm a Child of Grimm," was his only response. "And I suggest you move away from me, before I take action against you."

"Nathan!" Came a sharp voice. Nathan flinched and turned around to face a girl. "Are you bothering him?"

"No," came his quick reply.

"Yes," Derek added in.

"I'm sorry about that," came the girl's response. "I'm Gwen, his manager and a new student." Derek nodded and continued to stand in the corner. "What's your name?" He continued to stand in silence. "Nathan, what's his name?" Nathan shrugged. "Hey, why are you ignoring us."

"Oh, hey Derek," came a cheery voice. _No, no, no, no why? _He lifted his head to see Monica walking up to the three of them. "Who are your friends?"

"So Derek's his name," Gwen declared. Derek allowed himself to study the people around him. Gwen was wearing an orange jacket, with a white shirt underneath it. She was also wearing a pair of orange pants to go along with her jacket. Her hair was white, which looked strange in contrast to the rest of her, and her eyes were white as well. Nathan was wearing a torn denim jacket, and torn jeans. He wore a gray wolf shirt underneath his jacket. His hair was silver, and his eyes were red. He looked over to Monica to see that she was wearing her usual yellow jacket, and white shirt along with her yellow jeans. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were silver. _They all know what I am now, and I know what they are._

"Did he not tell you his name?" Monica said. "Not that surprising."

"How about you three leave me alone for right now?" Derek asked.

"We're staying." Derek cursed softly. _Drawing a picture wouldn't help them leave me alone. All I have to do is- No. That's a bad idea. It'll make it obvious what I really am._

"You can stay," Derek finally said. "But I'm not going to pretend to friends with any of you." He looked down, and started to drown the three of them out. He could faintly hear the headmaster, Ozpin, starting a speech, but he paid no mind to it. He knew what he would say, having been informed before he came into this school. The speech ended, and he was aware that everyone was going to sleep in the ballroom. _Oh no. That many people? I'll sleep in these tonight. There's nothing wrong with my clothes._

_Ballroom: Night_

Derek had found a spot that was out of the way of everyone else, and he had laid out his sleeping bag. He saw Monica a fair distance away from him, talking to Yang and Ruby. He spotted Weiss a distance away from him, prepping herself for sleep. He found Nathan and Gwen talking with each other far away from him. He also found the blonde boy from the ship in a bunny slipper onesie. Finally, he spotted Pyrrha, who was further away from him then anyone else. _Perfect. I can be left alone by everyone. No one can possibly bother me at this point. _He made it a point to never underestimate the observational abilities of Monica. She quickly spotted him and started to walk over to him. Nathan and Gwen looked at where she was going, and quickly followed. _They're a pack now, great._

"Hey Derek," came Monica's cheery voice. "Do you want company?"

"Monica," Derek began. "I picked a spot in a dark corner that was far away from everyone that I've had the misfortune of meeting in my time here at this school. Does it look like I want company?"

"We'll join you," Nathan said. _I hate them. I hate every single person here. No matter. I'll just sleep. _He curled up in his sleeping bag, and closed his eyes, falling asleep immediately.

"Derek?" Monica said. "Damnit I hate it when he does this."

"Does what?" Asked Gwen.

"He can fall sleep anywhere at anytime. He uses it to avoid people."

"I guess it works," said Nathan.

Derek was watching something take place. He saw a couple, who both had some signs of scales on their arms, holding a small boy. They were talking with someone, someone that said he could relieve the boy of his scales. He saw the images of the burdens that the boy's parents held because of those scales. The agreed to the terms, and they were in a large lab. The baby was placed in a tube, and the man that had talked to the parents was by a large lever. Suddenly, Derek was in the chamber. It started to fill with a gas, and Derek tried to bang on the door.

"LET ME OUT!" He screamed. "LET ME OUT! NOOOO!" He was suddenly awake, panting. He looked around, and he saw that Monica, Gwen, and Nathan were still near him. He looked out further, and saw that everyone appeared to be asleep, not an empty sleeping bag in sight. He quickly stood up, and cautiously stepped around all of the students. He could get changed before anyone else woke up. He could really stretch. He walked into the locker room, and picked out his locker. He opened it up, and inspected it's contents. He first pulled out a sword. The sword's hilt was stylized to look like a dragon curled around a red dust crystal that rested in the hilt. The dragon's mouth was open, and the blade of the sword looked like flames coming out of it. The sword was fire resistant, and the crystal in the hilt was capable of absorbing all flames that came at him. He picked up his sword and put it in it's sheath and strapped it to his belt. He picked up a set of green scaled armor and inspected it. He quickly looked around him, and decided to put it on. He took off his jacket, and shirt, revealing a large bandage that was wrapped around his chest. He pulled it off of him, careful not to rip it, and put it to the side. Without the bandage on, he stretched. _I can finally stretch them out. _The bandage was hiding a pair of wings, that were longer then his arms. He stretched them out for a moment, then quickly folded them back up and put on his bandage. He then took off his pants, and flexed out a tail with a spear shaped point. He then put on the scale armor, which covered up all of his chest, shoulders, legs, and most of his back. It had holes in it for his wings and tail, but it would be concealed as well. He threw on his outer clothes, and looked around him again. _No one is here yet, and I can always get the other things later. _He closed his locker, and left the room.

He didn't know it, but someone was there. They had seen the whole thing, and they wanted to tell him. But now was not the right time, other students would wake up soon. They just left the locker room silently and went into the dinning room.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

Child of Grimm Ch. 3

**I'm starting this immediately after my last chapter, so if something comes up I'll address it at the end of the chapter.**

He entered the dinning room, and grabbed the pre-prepared plate of pancakes. He looked around and found a table that was out of the way of every other table, and quickly sat down. He felt the tops of the pancakes, and noticed how cold they were. He looked around him, and saw that no one was looking his way. He leaned over the plate, and he blew a small stream of fire from his mouth and heated up the pancakes immediately. He leaned up, and started to cut them. _It's been a while since I've gotten a chance to do that. _He started to eat his pancakes, and he heard someone talking wildly nearby. He looked over to see a girl in a white top with red hair, talking to a boy in a green robe. She seemed to be doing all of the talking, and the boy just kept cutting his pancakes. Derek looked back down, and started to eat his pancakes.

"There you are," said a voice from behind him. Derek just slammed his head on the table. He looked over to see that it was not Monica standing there, but Pyrrha. He looked back down, and hoped that she hadn't seen his face. "I've been trying to find you since I bumped into you yesterday. You're hard to find." _Not hard enough apparently. _"So," Pyrrha started. "Why won't you make eye contact with me? Is it because I'm a celebrity? I hate that status?" _Keep talking Pyrrha, I'll finish these eventually and then I can be on my way. _

"Hey Derek," came a voice out of no where. _I hate this so much already. _Derek turned enough to confirm that Monica had indeed come up to him. "Good to see you're making friends. I'm Monica."

"Pyrrha. Your friend here is awfully quiet." _I hate everyone at this table._

"Well he has his reasons. Has he showed you?"

"Showed me what?" _Damnit Monica._

"Something that I'd prefer to keep hidden," was his simple response. "Something that was not meant for other people to see." Pyrrha's face turned red.

"Should I leave?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes," Derek said.

"No," Monica contradicted.

"I'm going to leave," Pyrrha said. She took her tray, and left to go elsewhere.

"Well?" Monica asked him. "Are you happy?"

"Extremely," Derek replied. "Now if you could leave as well, I would be even happier."

"I'm not leaving." Derek looked down at his last pancake, and decided he wasn't hungry anymore. He quickly stood up and left the pancake on his plate.

"Derek!" Monica called out. He just left her at the table, and made a turn straight for the locker room. When he got there, he opened up his locker and searched for his sheath. He quickly found it, grabbed it, and left to find somewhere quiet before the initiation started. He saw an open area with a few tables and a loudspeaker. _Perfect. I can know when initiation is starting, and I doubt Monica will find me here, nor will anyone else for that matter. _He sat down, and let out a sigh of relaxation. He heard the sound of footsteps, and he quickly looked around. He saw a girl with a black bow walk over to an empty table. _Great. So much for alone. _She pulled out a book, and started reading. _Good. She has the same idea as me. Being alone. _They both sat in silence for a while.

"What's your name?" Came a sudden question from the girl nearby. He lifted his head slightly in surprise at the question. "My name's Blake," she added in. He decided to give her the silent treatment again. "You can keep your head down, but it doesn't matter. I've already seen you." This got his attention. He looked over at Blake, his pupils widening in surprise. "I've seen everything, including what that bandage is hiding." Now Derek was paying full attention. _How does she know? _"I'm not going to tell anyone, I just want to know your name."

"Derek," he finally said. _No point in hiding now. Wait, I know that scent. _Derek lifted his head up into the air, and took a deep sniff of air. His senses had been raised more then any faunus' could ever hope to achieve. Derek finally was able to tell where the scent was coming from, and what it was. "What are you hiding behind that bow?" He asked. It was Blake's turn to look surprised. She slowly removed her bow, revealing a pair of cat ears. "Why are you so afraid of revealing those to me?"

"Because I was a member of the White Fang," Blake simply replied. Now his pupils narrowed in anger. _The White Fang._

"Was?"

"I'm no longer associated with them. But I need to ask you something, no faunus would inherit the things that you have. The wings or the fire." Derek once again was surprised. _She saw that too? _"What exactly are you?"

"A Child of Grimm." Blake now stopped completely. _You must be familiar with that term Blake, having known the White Fang._

"I won't tell anyone about your wings," she slowly said. "But you can't let anyone know about my ears."

"Done deal little kitty," he replied. Blake put her bow back on, and then the loudspeaker blared to life.

"Will all first year students please report to Beacon Cliffs for initiation," the voice said. Derek looked over at Blake, and stood up.

"Since you know the other parts of me," he said. "My name, or the name given to me, is Drake." Blake nodded again, and they both left for Beacon Cliffs.

_Beacon Cliffs_

Derek was standing on a launch pad as far away from the people he recognized as he could. Ozpin was giving the rules for how the forest works, but Derek wasn't listening. _I know these already. I'll just have to avoid all of the other students and grab two artifacts. I could fly over the forest, but that would get me noticed._

"Any questions?" Asked Ozpin.

"Uh," came a voice from further down. Derek looked over and saw the blonde boy raising his hand. _I give him five minutes tops._

"Good," Ozpin said, ignoring the blonde boy. People started to get launched from the platforms, and the blonde boy asked his question. It was something about how to land. _Never mind, he won't make it past the landing. _Finally, his pad was launched. While he was in the air, he looked around him. He saw no one, so he lifted up his hoodie and shirt. _The staff here knows about me anyway. _He extended his wings, and glided towards the ground. He landed easily, and drew his sword. He looked around him, and smiled. _Let the game begin._

**End: I did mean game and not games in that line. Any other questions, comments, or feedback is appreciated and I'm probably going to write chapter four right after this.**


	4. Chapter 4

Child of Grimm Ch. 4

**I'm beginning this after the last chapter, so if anything comes up I'll address it at the end of the chapter.**

He was walking along calmly through the woods, his ears sharp in case anything tried to sneak up behind him. _Come on. Where is everything? I was trained to fight, I was born to fight, I was created to fight. _He heard a growl coming from a nearby bush, and he smiled. He faced the bush, and waited. A Beowolf dove out of the bushes and went straight for Derek. He swiftly spun out of the way, and slashed the Beowolf across the back, making contact with it's spine. It died on impact. _That's odd. I thought that the Beowolves traveled in a pack. _Several more growls became audible from the bushes. _There we go. _Four more Beowolves stepped out of the bushes, and snarled at him.

"Come on you mutts," he said. One Beowolf pounced at him, and he opened up his mouth and fired off a column of flames. The heat was so intense, that the Beowolf died quickly. He then blew even more fire to separate himself from the other three Beowolves that were left. He blew some flames on his sword, the crystal lighting up, welcoming the familiar fire as energy. One of the Beowolves got bold and leapt over the fire. He ducked underneath it, and thrust his sword into it's stomach. The blade was so heated up, that the Beowolf died quickly. He threw it's corpse off of him, and saw that the other two Beowolves were in the process of pouncing. He lifted up his sword and fired off a fireball, hitting the Beowolf in the chest. The other Beowolf was almost on him, so he calmly raised up his arm. The Beowolf bit down on the arm, and was surprised to find it's teeth unable to penetrate the tough scales. Derek ripped his arm out of the Beowolf's mouth, also breaking all of the Beowolf's front teeth. It howled out in pain as Derek swung his sword at it's throat, cutting off it's head. He lifted up his sword, and all trace amounts of fire in the area was absorbed into his sword's hilt. _That was disappointingly easy. _He heard some more bushes rustle, and he raised up his sword. When nothing else jumped out at him, he walked over slowly. He moved the bushes out of the way, and saw that a clearing was in front of him.

"I knew it was you," came a voice from behind him. Before he could react, a hand was placed on his shoulder and he was spun around. _No, no, no, no. Damn it all! _He was staring Monica in the face. "I saw the fire and I figured it had to be you. Guess we're partners now."

"Let's go," Derek simply said. He started to walk in a direction, and Monica rushed after him.

"What's the rush?"

"I'd rather not hang around in the area that there's a large smoke signal for all Grimm to know that lunch is nearby."

"Makes sense. So, how many have you killed?"

"Five Beowolves."

"Cool. I got a couple of Ursai." Derek just continued his walk. "Are you going to-?"

"No. Listen to me Monica," he suddenly stopped and turned around to face her. "I'm not going to pretend to be glad you're my partner, nor am I going to pretend that we're friends. I'm just going to take this situation as it is, and get the relic."

"But Derek-."

"NO! I'm not going to pretend to be happy about anything that's going on. I didn't ask to have a team, I didn't ask to be what I am, and I didn't ask for you." His tolerance had finally reached a breaking point. Monica just nodded silently, and followed him. _Finally. Some peace and quiet. _Eventually, his anger subsided and he could think a little more clearly. "I'm sorry Monica," he said. "I just have been trying to avoid people since I got here, and it seems like I just can't do it."

"It's fine," Monica replied. "I've been bringing a lot of them to you, and I understand that you're frustrated with me trying to pry into your life."

"Let's just work together and get through this." Monica nodded, and then they heard a loud roar.

"Hide," Derek told Monica. They both ran under some trees, and waited. Monica stole a glance up, and her face turned white.

"Derek," she said. "What is that?" Derek looked up, and his eyes widened in fear. _Oh no. Why do you have to come now?_

"It's a Taituo," he finally said. "A Dragon Grimm, incredibly territorial. If we'e lucky, it hasn't spotted us and a Nevermore can chase it out of here."

"If we're not lucky?"

"Then it'll hunt us down until it gets the opportunity to kill us." A column of fire ignited the trees that were nearby, and Derek and Monica dove out of the way.

"RUN!" Monica yelled out. Derek held up his hand.

"Zap it," he calmly said. Monica nodded, and pulled out a long spear that was cracking with electricity. She aimed it steadily, and fired off a bolt of lightning. It hit the Grimm directly, and it roared out and flew off.

"I got it," Monica said excitedly. Derek shook his head.

"It's going to go off to it's home and think of a way around your lightning. I doubted that it had ever encountered something like that before."

"How do you know that?" _Because I have the brain of a Grimm Monica. I have the brain of a Taituo. _Derek just shrugged and kept walking.

"We're going to want help. I don't think we can take it down on our own."

"Why?"

"Unless we can fly," Derek winced slightly at his words. "Then we're going to need backup." Monica nodded, and kept walking. They heard the sound of Grimm up ahead, and approached the area slowly. Derek looked around the tree, and he shook his head.

"What?" Monica asked.

"We would find them," he grumbled. In the clearing was Nathan and Gwen. Both of them were wielding battleaxes with subtle differences. Nathan's blades were stylized to look like teeth, and a wolf's head was in the middle of the blade. Gwen's axe was more simple, but it had a tornado carved into the center. They were struggling against several Ursai, and Derek made up his mind. _We need them to take down the Taituo._

"Let's go Monica," he said as he drew his sword. Monica nodded and pulled out her spear as they both rushed forward. Monica fired off a bolt of electricity behind her and flew into the air. She stabbed down into the head of an Ursa, and then quickly fired off another bolt into another Ursa. Derek fired off a column of flames from his sword, and then took the head off of another Ursa. Nathan swung his axe into the chest of an Ursa, and the wound froze over. He then swung his axe into another Ursa and cut off it's head. Gwen was spinning around, whipping a massive amount of wind and slashing through Ursa. Soon, the Ursai were all dead.

"Derek?" Nathan asked. "Monica? What are you two doing here?"

"Trying to get to the temple while trying to avoid being killed by the most dangerous Grimm in the woods," Monica replied. "We'll need your help."

"Well we can save you some trouble," Gwen said. "We're not far off from the temple." They all heard a loud scream.

"Seems like that girl is not having a good day," Nathan joked.

"Come on," Derek said. "I want to get to the temple- MOVE!" He yelled this out as an Ursa came bounding out of the woods. He shoved the other three out of the way and dove with them. _Is there two people riding that thing? There is! Those are the people from breakfast._

"NORA!" The boy in the robe yelled out. "STOP THIS THING!"

"WOO HOO!" The girl, presumably Nora, yelled out. They kept going straight, and the four of them just stared at them.

"What in the fuck just happened?" Nathan finally asked.

"Let's go," Derek said. They all ran up, and Derek's heart dropped. _Great. At the temple we have Ms. Kitty, the Blonde, Scraggly, Red Hood, Ms. Crazy, and Robe. Oh look, the Heiress is on the talon of a Nevermore, and Star Student is being chased by a Death Stalker. We're running into certain death. _He ran up to the temple and motioned for Monica to grab a relic quickly. He saw Gwen going to grab one as well.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Yang yelled out. "CAN WE ALL JUST CALM DOWN FOR TWO SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE CRAZY HAPPENS?" Ruby tapped her arm.

"Uh," she said. "Yang." Derek looked up at the sky, and sighed. Weiss was only just hanging on. _This is the worst safe haven I have ever walked into. _

"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME?" She called down.

"I said jump," Ruby said.

"She's gonna fall."

"She'll be fine."

"She's falling." Derek just watched her plummet to the ground, and sighed. _Well this just got a lot messier. _He saw the scraggly boy jump out of the tree and catch Weiss in his arms.

"Just dropping in?" He asked. Then both he and Weiss fell to the ground.

"That was almost really cool," Nathan said.

"Hurry up Monica," Derek yelled out. "We don't have all day until the Taituo shows up."

"Taituo?" Weiss asked. "You have a Taituo chasing you?"

"Possibly."

"Wait a minute, I know you! You're the one that ran into on the first day! Where's Ruby?" Derek looked over and saw that the girl had indeed run off. Derek just shrugged, but then he saw her running away from the Death Stalker. The Nevermore fired off feathers, and one of them caught Ruby's cloak.

"Well if you didn't like your partner," Derek started. "You'll be able to get a new one." Weiss let out a sigh, and raised her sword. She quickly flew forward, and Derek recognized her semblance. _Glyphs. That explains her strength. _She brought her sword down, and froze the Death Stalker's tail. _Well that was impressive. _Monica ran up to him and handed him a white bishop.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Derek asked. "I don't have pockets." Monica nodded and stuffed the chess piece in one of her pockets. Gwen also returned to them, and Yang, Ruby, and Weiss walked up. Derek leaned over to Monica, and pointed at the boy. "Who is that?"

"I think his name is Jaune," Monica replied. Derek nodded.

"Guys," Jaune said. "That thing is circling back. What are we going to do?"

"To me," Derek began. "It would seem that our best course of action would be a full on tactical retreat. Unless you would all like to add a Taituo to the mix."

"He's right," Ruby said. "Our objective is right in front of us."

"Run and live," Jaune said. "Now that is an idea that I can get behind." Jaune and Ruby both grabbed a piece and rejoined the group.

"Time we left," the boy in the robe said. Derek leaned over to Monica again.

"Ren," she quickly said. Derek and Monica started to run after the group, but they both stopped at the sound of a loud roar. _Damnit! Why now? _He looked up, and saw the Taituo flying towards them. He kept running, but he knew that not even the Nevermore would distract the Taituo from it's prey. He made a decision, and turned to Monica, Gwen, and Nathan.

"When we get to that bridge," he said, pointing forward. "We separate from the group and try and take that thing down." They all nodded, and got ready to duck out. _3, 2, 1. _"NOW!" Everyone dove away from the bridge and ran towards the Taituo. Derek already had an idea in his mind.

"Gwen, whip up some wind. Nathan, freeze it. Monica, get ready to launch it. I'll keep it busy." They all nodded and went about their tasks as Derek separated from the group and waved his arms in the air. He started shooting off some fire from his sword, trying to draw it's attention. It finally bit and blew a column of fire at him. He dove out of the way and raised his sword to absorb the flames. A second column came his way, and this time he stood his ground. He kept absorbing the fire, and waited on his allies. He stole a glance over at the others, and he saw that the Death Stalker was gone, and Ruby was on Blake's weapon's ribbon. He quickly rolled out of the way of some more flames, and he shot some back. He looked over again, to see Ruby take the Nevermore's head off with her scythe.

"Whoa," he muttered. His thoughts were interrupted by the Taituo diving at him again. He quickly rolled out of the way. "HURRY UP!" He called out to his allies.

"BRING IT THIS WAY!" Monica yelled out. _I'm going to die for these idiots. Oh well, here goes nothing. _Derek waited for the Taituo to start diving, and he ran at his allies. Soon, it was close to him, and Monica fired a bolt of lightning at the small tornado that Gwen had whipped up. The tornado collided with the Taituo, and it froze on impact.

"It worked," Derek muttered. "I can't believe it worked. Come on guys, let's go get the other eight." They all nodded, and started to jog in the direction of their eight friends. Derek's ears caught a sound about halfway there, and he paused. He turned in time to see the Taituo break free of the ice, and shoot out a column of flames. "MOVE!" He yelled out as he pushed the other three out of the way. He raised up his sword just as the flames reached him, and he felt the intense heat from the Taituo. Soon, the flames were gone and he could feel how much energy was in his sword.

"Derek?" He could hear Nathan say. "What's up with the funky armor? I didn't know you had a tail! And what's up with that bandage?" Derek barely heard anything after that. The world was put on mute as he looked down to see that he was only wearing his scale armor, and that his bandage's bindings were weak. He looked up at the Taituo, anger in his eyes.

"You've ruined this again," he said coldly. He could hear the other eight running up to where his allies were, and he could vaguely hear their questions. _No sense in hiding now. _"RAAAAA!" Derek yelled out as he ripped through the bandage with his wings.

"What are you?" Monica asked. That was all Derek needed to hear. He flew up into the air, and made a beeline for the Taituo. It blew flames at him, but he just ignored them and kept flying. He opened up his mouth and blew fire at the Taituo, causing it to hesitate. _You're flames may be hot, but mine are hotter. _He flew straight at the wing of the Taituo and opened up a hole in it. The Taituo called out in pain, and Derek just flew up to it's head. He raised his sword, and brought it into the top of it's skull. He also released all of the energy from his crystal. The Taituo yelled out for a moment, but then it went silent as it's body went limp. Derek hopped off of it's head, and floated himself into the middle of his allies. They all just stared at him, even Blake. She didn't ever see the full potential of his abilities.

"Let's go," Derek grumbled.

"Derek," Monica said. "We won't tell anyone about this. Right?" The others nodded.

"Don't call me that anymore," Derek replied. "Since you know about this, my name is Drake." The others nodded, not wanting to anger him. _The day had turned around, things were going great. But I'm just destined for a life of misery._

_Beacon Auditorium_

"And now for the final new team," Ozpin said. The teams RWBY and JNPR had been formed, and Derek was still waiting on his team. "Drake Flame, Monica Rogue, Nathan Wolf, and Gwen Roberts. The four of you retrieved the white bishop pieces." Derek looked over at the screen, and his heart dropped. _Why? Why would you do this? _"From now on, the four of you will work together as team DRGN. Led by, Drake Flame. You four were also our highest scoring team, and so we shall show the students why you are that." The screen changed over, and Drake looked on in horror as the screen displayed him with his wings extended. The clip rolled and Drake just watched as he flew up, and killed the Taituo. As soon as the clip ended, Ozpin dismissed them and Drake just stormed off.

**End: That was long because I didn't want to split the Emerald Forest into two parts. Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

Child of Grimm Ch. 5

**Someone remarked about how they had a similar idea to this and I beat them to the punch. You can still write it [with a more creative name then Taituo, it means nothing]. I came up with this idea because I saw Grimm Spawn, even Ruby being able to change into a Beowolf and I got an idea for this having not seen this idea come up fully before. Let me know if I'm stupid and someone has done a story like this before. Anyway, here we go.**

Drake stormed down the halls. _Damnit Ozpin. I finally had something going. You just had to end it at me being the leader. Why? _He made a decision, and walked to Ozpin's office instead of his dorm. When he got there, he threw the door open to see Ozpin sitting expectingly at his desk.

"I knew you would come eventually," Ozpin calmly said.

"I go for 17 years and not one person apart from my parents knew about what I was," Drake said angrily. "I go one day at your school, and the whole world knows!"

"You must understand my decision to show that Drake."

"I don't care. Consider team DRGN leaderless, I'm done with this." Drake turned around and went for the exit. Ozpin threw his last card on the table.

"And where will you go Drake?" Ozpin called out. Drake hesitated at the exit. "You have no living relatives, no one to turn to apart from your new friends."

"They're not my friends."

"Still, you have no where to turn to apart from us. Unless you'd like to return to them." _He's right. And I hate him for it._

"Fuck you Ozpin," Drake said as he left. Ozpin smiled, knowing that his attempt worked.

_Team DRGN Dorm_

Monica was worried. She felt partially responsible for him being so mad, since she was the one to say what was he. Nathan and Gwen were also concerned, but not nearly to the extent that Monica was.

"Chill out Monica," Nathan said. "He'll come back."

"What's stopping him from leaving here?" Monica challenged. "He managed to keep this concealed from me for four years, and I've been on his ass for four years. He managed to keep this secret from probably everybody for a long time. Why not leave from the one place that knows what he has been trying to hide?" The door to the dorm opened, and Drake walked into the room. He quickly identified the only open bunk, and hopped onto it.

"Derek?" Monica asked.

"I thought I told you what my name is," he replied.

"You're still Derek to me, not Drake."

"Whatever."

"Are you okay?"

"No. I'm going to lay down some ground rules about this team." He quickly leaned up from the bed, his slitted eyes looking at all of them. "I'm not here out of any sense of duty, nor any sense of acceptance. I'm here because I have nowhere else to go. And pertaining to that last statement, my past is completely off limits. I respect all of you as fighters, but I don't like any of you. I'm not going to pretend to be all buddy buddy with you, and act like I want to be anyone's friends. I'm your leader, and I will act as such. I will assist all of you with anything that you need, but any personal 'I'm having struggles with this in my life' bullshit, I'm not dealing with. Because my life has been a walking nightmare for me, and it's just gotten worse. So if any of you assholes try to dig through my past, I will not hesitate to burn you alive. Are we clear?" His teammates all nodded quickly. "Good. I'm going to make some modifications to my clothing, and then I'm going to sleep. You can do whatever it is that you have to do for now. We'll handle unpacking and decorating tomorrow."

"One thing you didn't say," Gwen said slowly. "Is it okay if we still call you Derek?"

"Does it look like I fucking care?" He looked up at her, his eyes filled with rage. They all shook their heads. "Then go ahead." He pulled out his sword, and started making some careful cuts on the outside of his shirt and jacket. He flipped around his pants, and cut open another hole. He did this to every piece of clothing he had, and then he slipped off his clothes. He looked to see that the others were staring at his new bandage. _No sense in cramping myself unnecessarily. Not since they know. _He lifted up his sword, and cut off the bandage. He extended his wings, allowing the others to take in the full length.

"They're beautiful," Monica muttered. _I'm just going to ignore that. _But indeed they were. The gray wings at full length were not only impressive, but also quite beautiful with the light hitting them. He took off the chest piece of his armor, careful to lift his wings up to avoid hurting them. _The amount of times I've had to do this in secret has made it considerably easier to do this when I don't have to be secretive about it. _He looked over to see the others staring at him still. Now his chest was exposed, revealing that even that was covered in gray scales. Every last one of them shinning off of the light.

"If you could stop staring at me that would be appreciated," Derek said coldly.

"Sorry D," Nathan said. "I just wasn't expecting the... Shine."

"The shine is because of the oils I have to produce as a reptile to keep myself going. You ever see a snake? Same deal with me." He picked up his green long sleeved shirt, and cut off the sleeves. He slipped it on, and flexed around his arms.

"I never knew you were buff," Monica said.

"You saw how I trained," Derek replied. "It's just another result of that. You trained with me."

"He was the only one that could keep up with me in anything. Well, him and some others. But you could bench press with me, run with Ruby, brawl with Yang, he seemed to be able to keep up with the best in their category."

"Make no mistake," Derek said. "That is partially due to my training, but mostly due to my Grimm heritage. The scales make an excellent layer of armor, as you have learned."

"True. You can't land a blow without hurting you more then him." He finally looked down at his pajama pants, and quickly changed into them. He reached down, and cut off the bottoms of them too. He just lay down, and closed his eyes, knowing that he would be greeted by nightmares in his sleep.

He was standing in an open field, surrounded by nothing. He was wearing his armor, and his sword was strapped to his side. Suddenly, the field changed into a glass dome, and people were lining the outside. All of them pointed to him, and talked about him, and observed him. He tried to melt the glass, but it didn't work. He couldn't escape people seeing what he was. His eyes brought him to one of the people standing there, and they wore a cruel smile. They flipped a switch, and the whole dome filled with gas.

"NOOOOO!" He suddenly shot awake, not realizing at first that he had screamed. Nathan and Gwen hopped out of their beds and raised their axes, while Monica just raised her fists. Derek looked at them and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You should probably get some more rest for now." He looked outside and noticed that the sun was only just beginning to come up. _I will not be going to sleep again. _He put on his armor, and looked back at his teammates. They were all watching him carefully, waiting on him to do something. "Go back to sleep, I can't." He opened up the window, and looked down. There was a good distance between their dorm, and the ground. _Good enough for me to take off. _He jumped out, and extended his wings. He flapped his wings and took off into the air. He soared into the sky, and began to fly around Beacon. _It's been a while since I've done this. It feels good. _He flew around Beacon for hours, until the sun told him that the rest of his team would be awake soon. He circled around, and flew right back towards his window. He opened up the window, and slowly climbed in.

"That looked like fun," came the response from one of the beds. He looked around to see Monica laying on her bed, with Nathan and Gwen also up. "Before you ask, we watched you the whole time. Do you think we could ever get a ride?" Monica walked up slowly to him, an innocent look in her face.

"No," Derek replied coolly. "Now, I believe it's time to unpack." The other three nodded. Derek pulled out his suitcase, and began to take his things out. He had a few extra sets of clothes. He took out a few jewels in the shape of flames, and his only picture. It was a couple holding a small boy. _Before I became what I did, and before I lost them. _He wiped a tear from his eye before anyone could see it, and setup the picture.

"That's a nice picture," came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Gwen standing right behind him.

"Do you remember when I said my past is off limits?" Derek asked. "This is included in that category."

"Are those your parents?" Flames started to pool in Derek's mouth, the smoke visible from outside of his mouth. "Okay, going back to my section of the room." _I'm probably going to kill them before anything else gets a chance. _He turned to see that everyone else was finished. Monica had her area decorated simply with a few lightning bolt pieces and an _Achieve _poster. Nathan lined his area with nothing but wolf statues. Gwen had her area dressed up with natural disaster posters, along with one _Achieve _poster. _What is it with girls and these Achieve guys? _He pulled a notebook that had been handed to him as the leader of the team.

"Alright you three," Derek said. "First class is in 10 minutes, and it's Grimm studies with Port. You have the location of the class on your scrolls, and I'll see you there." He opened up the window again, and unfolded his wings.

"WAIT!" Monica called out. "Mind giving your partner a lift."

"Yes." Derek jumped out the window and flew straight to Grimm studies.

_Professor Ports Class_

"Monsters," the large professor boomed. "Deeemons. Yes the creatures of Grimm go by many names, but I simply call them prey." Derek couldn't be any less interested. _I don't need to know this stuff. I am a Grimm myself._

"And unless I'm mistaken we have a very rare honor," Port boomed. "Unless I'm wrong, we have a Child of Grimm in our presence." Derek looked up at Port. "Would you mind coming down here and showing us some of your skills?"

"Depends on what you mean," Derek said coldly.

"My dear Drake Flame." Derek winced slightly at the use of his name. "I merely want to see your full form, and see some of your fighting prowess." Derek nodded slightly, and stood up to the front of the class. He took off his shirt and hoodie and threw them to Monica. He then took off his pants, leaving him only in his scaled armor. "An impressive form. I can see that Taituo bulk coming into play. Fully extend everything please." Derek nodded, and extended his wings and whipped his tail around. "Tell me boy, can you use that as a weapon." Derek nodded. "Marvelous. Now it's time for our first fight?"

"First fight?" Derek asked, concerned slightly.

"One for you, and one for another students." Derek nodded in understanding as Port dragged a cage into the open. Derek looked in it, and saw two eyes. _It smells like it's an Ursa. _"BEGIN!" Port cut the lock off of the cage, and an Ursa walked out of the cage, narrowing it's gaze on Derek. He smiled and drew his sword. The Ursa charged, and he flew up into the air. The Ursa looked up at him, confused as to what was going on. It swatted wildly at him, and he just danced out of the way. "Like a true hunter, playing with it's prey," Port remarked. Derek blew a column of flames at the Ursa, and it backed up from him. He then flew straight at the Ursa, and blew some flames in front of him. The Ursa went up on it's back paws, and Derek drove his sword into it's heart. "What a splendid demonstration. I'm disappointed that you didn't showcase your armor-like skin, or your tail, but all for another time." Derek nodded and sheathed his sword. "You may return to your seat now Drake." He returned to his seat, and closed his eyes, keeping his ears alert to any mention of his name.

The class was almost over when someone finally mentioned his name.

"Now you have to fight a little bit more scrappy then Drake," Professor Port boomed. His eyes snapped open and observed the scene in front of him. Monica saw him wake up, and leaned over to him.

"Port asked if anyone here thought they embodied a hunter/huntress and Weiss volunteered," she recapped. "She seems to be really annoyed that Ruby is trying to help her."

"Ruby is there leader correct?" Derek asked.

"Yeah." _That explains why. The heiress is annoyed that she isn't the leader of the team. That's going to hurt them down the stretch, maybe even as soon as now. I could help sort out this problem, but why would I? I care for no one on that team. There's is Blake, who did keep her word to me. Ruby seems nice, her sister is obnoxious though. I'm just going to talk myself into doing this aren't I? Damnit Drake. _The class ended, and Drake could hear Weiss and Ruby arguing not too far off from him.

"You three go ahead," he said. "I'll catch up. There's something I need to do." His team nodded, and Drake waited for his opportunity.

"I didn't expect to see you hanging around," came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Ozpin standing behind him.

"It's you," he said coldly.

"Yes, it is. Now, Mr. Flame, why are you hanging around?" Drake let out a long sigh.

"I don't know. I feel like I should help them, but they have done nothing for me. I don't know why I want to help, but I do."

"That's a good sign Drake. You're making some positive progress." Ozpin walked in the direction of Ruby, and left Drake standing there. He started to walk in the direction of his dorm, but two voices stopped him. He turned to face them, and saw the odd couple.

"Oh," he said. "It's you two."

"Good to see you too," Yang said. "We heard what Ozpin told you Derek." _This is getting confusing. _"We know that you want to help our team, and I want you to do so. My sister is struggling with confidence right now."

"Why me?" He challenged. "Surely a monster isn't the ideal person to do so?"

"Please Derek," Blake said. "Do it for me." _I know what you mean little kitty. _

"Fine," Derek snapped. "For the secret that you did keep for me, Blake." She nodded, and Yang looked at them confused. _Blake can explain if she wants, I'm not doing it for her. _He entered the hall, and waited for Ruby. Finally, she rounded the corner and Derek stepped out from his corner.

"AH!" Ruby yelled out. "Oh, hey Derek. I'm sorry I wasn't expecting you to be there."

"It's fine," he said. "I heard you and Weiss arguing."

"You did?"

"I'm here to offer you some advice. Look at me Ruby. What is your first impression of my physical appearance?"

"Scales, reptile, snake, scary."

"There! That's the one I'm looking for. My physical appearance makes me stand out from everyone else, and it makes doing anything much more difficult. As a leader, your title is what separates you from everyone else. If there is someone who doesn't want to follow you, the only thing that you can do is do everything in your power to change their mind. You should get into your dorm now, I have to catch Weiss."

"Thanks, but why are you doing this?"

"I don't really know to be honest. Now get out of here." Ruby walked into her dorm, and Weiss came by shortly there after. He stepped out of his shaded corner and Weiss jumped back in surprise.

"Oh," she said. "It's you. What do you want?"

"This visit isn't about what I want," Derek said. "It's about what you desire."

"What are you talking about?"

"You desire to become leader of team RWBY so apposed to fighting for them, you will fight to earn that title."

"How dare you!"

"I'm right and you know it." Weiss tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm.

"Get off of me you freak!" Derek's eyes narrowed. _Why am I helping this self-centered spoiled brat? I should just let her bring the others down. No, I like the others._

"I suggest you chose the rest of your words carefully heiress," he growled. Weiss looked at his eyes, and realized what she said.

"Derek, I'm sorry. It's just that I don't think she deserves that role. What has she done to earn her spot?"

"Who's plan was it that that killed the Nevermore?" Weiss stopped, and then thought.

"Ruby had that reckless idea to-."

"STOP! Ruby, not you. You viewed it as reckless and she viewed it as necessary. There in lies the difference between the two of you. Ruby is willing to take the bold moves while you will always be a conservative fighter. That's why Ozpin chose her."

"Well then why did you become the leader of DRGN?" Derek looked at her angrily. "I'm curious."

"You called me a freak earlier, and I can't disagree. I'm the only one of my kind in existence, to which I say good. I'm leader of DRGN for the same reason I'm at this school Weiss, I'm a monster." He ran over to the window, and dove out of it, spreading his wings. Weiss thought about what it was that he had just told her, and left to grab something.

_Team DRGN Dorm_

"He's been gone for a long time," Monica said. "I'm getting concerned."

"Oh come on," Nathan replied, polishing his axe. "He's probably just out flying. What could hurt him anyway?"

"You both are missing the bigger issue here," Gwen added in. "He was close to leaving here before, and he could very well leave us leaderless now. We're going to have to be somewhat cautious of what goes on with him." They heard the window click open, and Derek stepped into the room. He quickly folded up his wings, and started to throw on his pajamas.

"Derek?" Monica asked "Where were you?"

"Helping out some of your friends," he replied. "It seems that some of them view me as a friendly monster." At that, Derek closed his eyes and went to sleep.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

Child of Grimm Ch. 6

Derek woke up from his nightmare. This had become routine for him. He woke up early in the morning from his nightmare, and then took a morning flight. His teammates had become quite accustomed to this, and they never wondered where he was early in the morning. Derek took his flight, but decided to cut it short. He landed on the lawn, and looked around him. The campus was quite beautiful, and everyone needed a chance to admire beauty. Even someone like him.

"Hey," he heard someone call out behind him. He turned to see a team of four boys walking up to him. _Oh great, these clowns. _Yes, he recognized who they were. "We saw you taking that flight today," the leader continued. "Couldn't help but stop by when you landed." Derek just treated him with silence. "So we were thinking about that, and we decided you were showing off. So we've come to tell you how we feel about that." More silence. "Hey, do you know who we are?"

"Team CRDL," Derek finally replied. "The team of punks that'll only fight if they feel they have a significant advantage. So why don't you four get on your way, because you don't stand a chance."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Derek calmly blew a heart of flames in their direction, causing them to back up.

"For you four, anything." _If that doesn't scare them off, the next part certainly will. _Cardin regained his senses, and told two of his teammates to grab his arms. _These idiots just don't observe. _

"Well then tough guy," Cardin said once two of his teammates held him against a wall. "Let's see how tough you can really be." Derek calmly looked behind Cardin and identified Russell Thresh. _That means the two punks holding me are Sky and Dove. This just got considerably easier. _Cardin brought his fist back, and swung it into Derek's stomach. Cardin immediately recoiled in pain as it felt like he hit a brick wall. _He even forgot about my armor. _Cardin backed up, and looked at Derek with renewed anger. He drew his mace, and swung it into Derek's stomach. The weapon bounced harmlessly off of him, and Derek just continued to smile. Finally, Russell stepped up to him and hit Derek straight across the face. Russell also grabbed his hand in pain from the strength of his scales. _Well this has been fun. _He brought his tail around the leg of Sky, and pulled him to the ground. Dove looked at his friend in surprise, and then he was quickly hit in the face by Derek, knocked out immediately. Derek kicked Sky in the stomach, to make sure he was down, and then grabbed Russell's shoulders and hit him square in the with his own head. Cardin stood up, but Derek grabbed him and unfolded his wings. Cardin tried to break free, but his grip was like iron. _A snake's vice is only rivaled by a Taituo's you moron. _Derek flew straight up in the air, taking Cardin with him. Cardin kicked, and screamed, but it was to no avail. They reached a good height above the school, and Derek stopped going. Cardin was on the verge of tears, and Derek pulled him close.

"Listen here you punk shit," he said. "If you ever feel like dying is a good option, you can try this again. Otherwise, back off or I'll go a little higher." Cardin felt a little bold that he wouldn't live up to his threat, so he spit at Derek. "Tsk, tsk, wrong answer." Derek dropped Cardin, who just fell screaming. Derek dove after him, and caught him a few feet off of the ground, and flew straight back up. "Oh boy that was fun. It's a shame it took me so long to get you. I don't know if I can get you a second time. Want to try?" Cardin shook his head violently. "Now, will I be hearing from you again?" Cardin shook his head again, and Derek smiled. He pulled Cardin close, and went into a dive bomb. When he was close enough to the ground, he dropped a crying Cardin next to his teammates. He then swiftly flew to his dorm. _Everything is so much easier when I don't have to keep these a secret. _He entered in through the open window, and saw that Nathan and Gwen had left. He turned to see Monica waiting for him. He calmly walked over to his bed, and grabbed his sword.

"They went out to see if what they said was true," Monica said. Derek was just silent. "The word was that the big bad team CRDL has been reduced to bawling idiots." Derek smiled at this. _The satisfaction this brings me is almost frightening. _"I would of have gone out there, but I figured I'd just ask the person who did it."

"What makes you assume it's me?" He asked.

"Someone said they saw Cardin almost hit the ground, but was saved at the last second. I know that you're the only one who could save him, and I know that it's not your style to save someone out of kindness."

"Our time together has taught you well. I just addressed the issue before I allowed it to continue."

"Why didn't you do it before?"

"Because I had to go through the trouble of concealing these," Derek said as he flapped his wings. "Where did they say they'd go afterwords?"

"Nathan's going to grab food, and Gwen said she was going to practice. We have a sparring match later on today."

"And why are you not joining her?"

"Because I've been training every day. I figured my training would come later on today."

"Which team?"

"WALL. I don't know what our match ups are." Derek laid back on his bed.

"I think I'm just going to relax for now. I'll do research on WALL later on." Monica hopped up into her bed, and pulled out her scroll. She started to type out a message, and added on a voice recording to the end.

"I love you guys," was all it said. Derek felt his heart being crushed slightly as he realized who Monica was sending the message too. _Just another reminder that I may be the leader of this team, but I'm at mercy of my past at all times. _

_Beacon Academy: Sparing Arena_

"Welcome to Sparing students," Glynda Goodwitch said as she walked back and forth. "This is your first day of class, so I will explain to you how this will work. I expect every last one of you to be training your best assets every day, but this is for some of the more advanced help. Every day, we will have a variety of matches. Some of them will be team fights, others will be a single member of the team. There is a basic summary of what to expect on your scrolls, and because of the length of the video we will have one team battle later on today. That will be team WALL and team DRGN. You may begin your video." Derek nodded, and opened up the video. He clicked on the play button, but quickly realized that he had seen this before, and he turned it off. _Why would they inform me of everything that would happen at this school ahead of time? _Derek continued to pretend to pay attention, and the video ended.

"Team WALL and team DRGN, please step onto the stage. We'll go in reverse order, so Leonard and Nathan will be the first fight." They both nodded, and stood across from each other. Nathan drew his axe, and Leonard drew a bow. _This will be over fast. _"Begin!" Nathan calmly circled his prey, the wolf instincts taking over. Leonard knocked an arrow, and observed Nathan's pattern. He fired off an arrow, and Nathan cut it down. While Nathan's back was turned, Leonard switched the bow to a staff and rushed at him.

"Nathan move!" Gwen called out. Nathan rolled out of the way to just avoid Leonard's strike. He swung his axe around into Leonard's staff, freezing it instantly. Nathan swung around the flat of his axe into Leonard, and sent him flying. Leonard got back up and switched his staff into the bow. He fired off two more arrows, and Nathan swung his axe into the ground, bringing up a wall of ice. The arrows passively bounced off of it, and Nathan swung his axe around again. A solid line of ice hit Leonard straight in the stomach.

"The match is over," Goodwitch called out. "Leonard's aura has dropped into the red, so Nathan has won." Nathan walked over and high fived Gwen and Monica, Derek just watched him come to the side. Nathan sat down, not expecting Derek to greet him warmly.

"You're lucky that Gwen was watching you," Derek said. "Otherwise that would of have been a different fight."

"I still won," Nathan replied.

"Never become complacent with a victory. Unless you are in control of the whole match, then always be prepared to learn from your errors." Nathan nodded, understanding what his leader was saying.

"The next battle will be between Gwen and Leo," Goodwitch continued. They nodded, and raised their weapons. Gwen swung around her axe, while Leo hefted up a long sword. "Begin." Gwen started to spin around, whipping up a small tornado. Leo backed up, and waited for an opportunity to strike. Gwen sent her tornado at Leo, who just rolled out of the way. He ran forward at Gwen, and swung around his sword. She blocked the strike with her axe, and fired off a column of wind from her blade. Leo was thrown back, and then the flat of her axe caught him in the stomach.

"Gwen has won the battle," Goodwitch called out. Gwen walked over, greeted warmly by Nathan and Monica. Derek watched her sit down as well, and nodded at her.

"I don't recommend starting with that attack too many more times," Derek told her. "It takes a long time to start up, and you're a plenty good enough to get away with starting with an attack." Gwen nodded in appreciation for the advice.

"Now it's time for Monica and Alexis," Goodwitch called out. They both stood across from each other, Monica's spear cracking with electricity while Alexis pulled out two daggers. Alexis seemed relieved that her opponent was using a weapon with a limited reach. _Wait until she unveils the surprise. _"Begin." Alexis rushed at Monica, and swung her two daggers low. Monica glided swiftly out of the way and hit Alexis across the back. Alexis raised up her daggers immediately, slightly surprised at the small jolt of electricity that went through her spine. She rushed Monica again, this time aiming just to get close. She closed the distance between Monica and herself, effectively getting within the reach of her spear. Monica clicked a button on her spear, and it shrunk down in size. Alexis' eyes widened in surprise, and Monica started swinging around her shortened spear. She caught Alexis across the wrists, legs, stomach, back, and then finally her neck before she completely collapsed.

"Monica is the victor of this match," Goodwitch called out. She walked over to her teammates and high fived Gwen and Nathan, with Derek just looking at her.

"What?" She asked.

"You could of ended the match a little bit sooner," Derek replied. Monica pushed him, and Derek raised his hands up.

"Now for the final match," Goodwitch called out. "Drake against Wallace." After they entered the arena, Drake saw Goodwitch raise her wand. Drake smiled at this. _Making sure I don't just fly off. _Drake drew his sword, and saw Wallace draw a mace. _Not the first time I've seen one of those. _Drake very quickly pulled off his outer clothes, leaving him in his armor. Upon seeing this, Goodwitch finally gave the call to begin. Wallace charged him, and he just flew up into the air and out of the way. Wallace turned in time to be hit across the chest by Drake's tail. He shakily stood up, and saw Drake just waiting for him. He rushed forward again, and this time Drake let himself be hit. The mace bounced harmlessly off his chest as Drake swung his fist into Wallace's chest. Wallace stumbled back, annoyed that he hadn't landed a solid blow yet. _Enough of this. _Wallace charged him again, and Drake flew out of the way. He blew a column of flames and melted Wallace's mace. He swung the flat of his sword into Wallace's chest, and sent him sailing.

"That's it," Goodwitch called out. "A clean sweep for team DRGN." Drake returned to his team, picking up his clothes on the way. He quickly began to put them on, as his teammates stared at him.

"Was it really necessary to melt his weapon?" Monica asked him.

"A display of strength is all any of that was," Drake replied. "I studied the team before hand, and they aren't very good fighters. I figured if I could display my strengths, I might get to be left alone." The others gave him a long look. _They think I'm different then the one who so coldly ignored them the first day, but they are wrong. I simply am in charge of a team now, so I must act as such. But I am still the monster that they thought I was, and I'm still ruled by the past that I can't ever seem to escape._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. **


	7. Chapter 7

Child of Grimm Ch. 7

The days continued on in the pattern that had been established. Derek never had to act as Drake unless it was sparing class, or Grimm studies. Otherwise, the other teachers seemed to ignore what he was, but they couldn't ignore the productivity of his work in the class. Derek was excelling in the academic side of the school. He got asked to assist his team, and other teams as well. He ignored the other teams for the most part, always able to give them the cold shoulder, and just helped his own team. Today was another day of history, and Derek wasn't excited. History mostly consisted of faunus rights, and that was a topic that he despised. _Why bother studying faunus oppression, when it's not history. _Either way, he loathed this subject. _Faunus oppression is much more favorable to my current predicament. Still, I did assist that Velvet girl yesterday. _It was true, he had the day off of Sparing and got the report from the rest of his team. He heard that Jaune continued his struggles in Sparing, and that didn't surprise him. _You can't fix something that refuses to be fixed. _During lunch, Cardin set his sights on a rabbit faunus. Derek stepped in, and Cardin backed off immediately. Now, it was time for history. Derek stood up, and stretched out his wings.

"Derek," someone said behind him. He turned to face Monica, and he just tilted his head. "Can I get a ride to history today? Since Gwen and Nathan are off in their history course." Derek let out a heavy sigh. "Please Derek. I won't tell them and I want to, just once." Derek opened up the window, and he could hear Monica pouting behind him. He didn't even have to turn around to see it. He finally faced her, and saw her lip quivering and her eyes had a sad look. _I thought we were at a school for warriors. _He let out an even larger sigh, knowing that Monica would never give in until he agreed.

"Fine," he said. He opened up his arms, and waited for her.

"Wait," she said, confused. "I thought I would get on your back."

"I'm not a full Taituo Monica, so I have to hold onto you if you want to fly. Now, are you going to change your mind or are we going to get this over with?" Monica walked up to him, and let him grab her. Derek dove out of the window, and let his wings catch a breeze. He flapped his wings a few time, and started to speed in the direction of history.

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Monica yelled over the wind. "HOW DO YOU NOT FEEL JOY WHILE DOING THIS?"

"Easy," Derek replied in a normal voice, his mouth close enough to Monica's ear for her to hear him. "You remember why you can do this."

"LIGHTEN UP DEREK! ENJOY THE MOMENT!" Derek had never been so happy to see history class in his life. He landed, and released Monica. She stood up, and smiled at Derek. "That was fun."

"That was a one time deal, you promised me that." Monica's happy expression disappeared for a moment, but then it returned.

"Worth it." She walked into history, her expression happy.

"I've got next," came a voice from behind him. Derek turned to see Blake right behind him.

"No," Derek replied. "I have to live with her, I don't have to live with you. That's the only reason I did what I did."

"Are you sure Derek?"

"Positive. I couldn't stand that obnoxious pouting face that she has anymore. Gwen and Nathan know not to bother me. She does not."

"There's a good reason for that."

"She's persistent." He walked by her, towards history. He quickly leaned into her ear. "Little kitty." Blake let herself smile at this, and they both walked into history. As was the norm with history, Oobleck started to give a lecture, and Derek just leaned back in his chair and let himself relax. He just sat back next to Monica, and let his mind wander, waiting on his name to be called. _So Blake thinks that there's something more between myself and Monica. I've never enjoyed someone being wrong so much. Monica isn't even really a friend to me, just a teammate that I have to live with. Well, I guess that now I have to consider her a friend. She knows me for what I am, and accepts me for that. I guess I could call Nathan and Gwen friends as well. Even some of the other students here I can consider friends. But I will never get close to people. Not again. Not after what happened to them. _He snapped back into reality, not knowing why. He felt Monica's hand on his own, and he quickly pulled away. She looked at him, and pointed over to Jaune.

"He needs help," she whispered. "Oobleck called on him, and I don't think he knows the answer."

"He doesn't study for this class," Derek replied. "Let this be a lesson to him as to why." He looked over to see that everyone was laughing at whatever Jaune said.

"Mr. Winchester," Oobleck said. Derek looked up at the boy, and waited on his answer.

"Well," Cardin said. "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal then it is a person." Derek quickly stood up, his moth fuming.

"Mr. Flame, take a seat!" Derek complied, but kept his gaze on Cardin. _He won't be able to save Cardin if he says something like that again. _He was vaguely aware that Blake and Pyrrha had teamed up to give the correct answer, while embarrassing Cardin at the same time. But Derek was paying no mind. He just kept his ears tuned to either Cardin, or his name being said. Class ended shortly thereafter, and he was vaguely aware that Jaune and Cardin had to stay after class. He walked outside, and unfolded his wings.

"Hey," came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Monica standing there once again. "Can I get a ride back?"

"Sorry," Derek replied. "But it was a one time thing."

"I thought it extended both ways?" Monica tried. Derek looked back at her, and sighed.

"I know that Gwen and Nathan aren't back yet," Derek started. Monica's eyes widened in excitement. "So I will give you a ride back." Monica jumped into the air excitedly. She practically jumped into his arms, and whispered into his ear.

"Can we go on a long ride? Like, take me around the school?" Derek let out an even deeper sigh. "Please?" Derek shook his head, and Monica's smile widened. He flew up into the air, and veered to the right. He took them around the perimeter, through the tower, by Ozpin's office, and finally to their dorm. Monica didn't stop yelling in excitement the whole time. Derek just smiled the whole way through. _I guess that my curse isn't always something filled with misery. _He opened up the window, and landed. He let go of Monica, who was still beaming with excitement.

"That was amazing," she said.

"You sound like a child," Derek said as he leaned back in his bed.

"How do you keep so calm during your flights?"

"I'm used to them. It's no longer exciting to me. Plus, it's too easy to remember why I am what I am."

"Well, why not share. Take it off your mind." Derek looked at Monica angrily.

"I already told you, my past is off limits. I've killed people for digging into my past."

"Have you really?" Monica's face was shock.

"You know that I'm a monster Monica. I was created to fight, and that's what I do." The door opened and Gwen and Nathan walked into the room.

"Hey you two," Nathan said. "How was your history class?"

"Fine I guess," Monica replied. "Jaune is in trouble and so is Cardin since neither of them study. I thought about offering him some help."

"I say let him turn to his team," Gwen added. "They're there for a reason."

"I'm with Gwen," Derek said. "I'm sure that Pyrrha will offer some assistance. She seems to be willing to do anything to help him. For reasons beyond my comprehension."

"That's what you do when you care about someone D," Nathan said. "You help them as much as you can."

"It still doesn't explain helping someone that seems so unwilling to accept help." They all shrugged and changed into their pajamas. Derek and Nathan's beds were on one side of the room, and Gwen and Monica's beds were on the other side. They just turned the other way, and promised not to look. But today, Monica stole a glance back at Derek. She saw his well muscled back, that shined with the scales on it. She quickly turned around, and kept changing. As long as no one saw her, that was acceptable. She had begun to hope that her years of work had started to pay off, and that she had begun to get through to him. They all finished changing, and everyone fell asleep. Everyone except Derek. He walked to the open window, and listened for what he knew would happen. He saw the looks of it setting up, and he leaned his head out slightly. _Oh Jaune you wonderful fool. Your pride got you to cheat, and your pride will be your downfall. _Suddenly, the voice of Cardin was added to the mix after Pyrrha had left. _Oh Jaune. Now you've done it for yourself. You've screwed yourself over, and I can't see this ending anyway but poorly. _Derek stood up, and entered his bed. _Should I of have had helped him? No. It's a mess that he created and made worse. I can do nothing now, but idly spectate._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

Child of Grimm Ch. 8

He woke up early in the morning, as usual. This time, he wouldn't get an opportunity for an early morning flight. He had to get up early so that himself and his team could go to Forever Falls. _The first field trip since we got here, and it involves a deadly forest. I'm excited. _He got up, and changed quickly. He then walked over to Gwen, and woke her up. He told her that he was the only other one up, and she quickly got dressed. He then woke up Nathan, telling him to get changed fast. He looked over and saw Gwen had already woken up Monica. They all got changed quickly, and went outside to wait for the rest of the teams to get ready to go.

_Forever Falls_

Goodwitch was going on about how dangerous Forever Falls was, and that they should keep an eye out for Grimm and try and find their objective. As soon as she finished, Goodwitch left to wait for them, allowing the students to go wherever the team so choose. Jaune was currently on a leash with team CRDL, and only Derek knew why. _Poor kid. I can't imagine what it must be like to have to do what those idiots want done. Sadly, I can't interfere. _

"Come on buddy," Cardin said, putting an arm around Jaune. Jaune looked at Pyrrha, and then followed Cardin. _All he had to do was accept the help that she was offering and he wouldn't be in this mess. He dug himself a grave, and now he has to find a way out. _Derek quickly turned to his team, and started to talk to them.

"Alright," he said. "The trees we're looking for are easily identified by the tops of them. I can get a birds eye view, find them, and then signal to you three. The other teams can follow if they so choose, but this'll be faster for us." The three of them nodded. Derek tossed off his clothes, and was left in his armor. "I'll be back soon." He quickly rocketed up into the air, and looked around him. He flew forward for a while, and then found the tops that he was looking for. He looked straight up into the air, and fired off a large column of flames. He then dove to the ground, and waited for his team. They showed up quickly, and they were trailed by teams JNPR and RWBY.

"I figured you guys would show up," he said. He calmly lifted up one jar of red sap that was in his hands. "So I took the liberty of grabbing a jar. If I'm needed, just say my name." The others nodded, and Derek flew up to a tree and lay on a branch, and closed his eyes. Monica went to work opening up a hole in a tree, and she quickly filled up a jar of sap. She looked up at Derek, and felt tempted to say his name. But she knew that it would only get her fried. She looked down at her jar of sap sadly. She was working so hard to break past his exterior, and yet he was able to push her just a little further away.

"Hey Moni," said Gwen. "I got my jar, and wolfy over there can't seem to figure out what he's supposed to do."

"SHUT UP GWEN!" Nathan called out.

"What's up with you?"

"Just filled up my jar, so I guess I'm done too. Soon as wolfy finishes up, we'll all be done. What do you think we'll do?"

"Knowing D, he'll probably want to hunt down some Grimm before we leave. Go into Drake mode."

"Yeah. It'll be time as a team though."

"You're really bad at hiding things Moni, you know that?"

"Not bad enough apparently. He still doesn't realize it."

"Oh no he realizes it, but I'm also pretty sure that he's pushing you away. That's what he's been doing since he got here, from what you say since Signal, and I'm guessing for a long time. There's something about his past, something about how he became how he did, that is haunting him and that's leading him to push people away from him."

"What did you specialize in?"

"Weather and mental analytics. I'm very good at reading people. The point is Moni, has he shown any signs of letting you in?"

"Some, yes."

"Then you'll have to make the move. Otherwise, he'll find ways to shut you out." Monica nodded slowly, and then Nathan joined them.

"Hey girls," he said. "How are things going over here?"

"Fine until you showed up wolfy," Gwen replied.

"So status quo then, huh?"

"I guess you could say that Nathan." Suddenly, they heard a loud roar.

"Did you guys hear that?" Ruby asked.

"How could we miss it," Nathan replied. "AY DEREK! WAKE UP BUD!" Derek suddenly was right behind them, sword drawn.

"What is it?" He asked.

"A roar, a big one. Thought that if it was a big Grimm, your fire and flying might come in handy." Derek nodded in understanding, and stood ready. He quickly identified sounds of something running through the woods.

"Ursa! Ursa!" Called out a voice. Derek identified it as Russell Thresh. He ran straight into Yang, who grabbed him by the collar.

"What?" She asked. "Where?"

"Back there in the woods! It's got Cardin!" Yang let him go, and he continued to run. _Cowards. _

"Jaune!" Pyrrha realized. _Now we have to save them. _Ruby turned to Yang and Blake.

"You two, get Professor Goodwitch." Pyrrha faced Nora and Ren.

"You two go with them," she said. All of them drew their weapons. "There could be more."

"Nathan, Gwen," Derek added. "Assist them. I'll fly that way." They nodded and ran off. Monica looked at him. "Yes, I'll give you a ride, hope in." Monica allowed herself to be hugged by Derek, and he turned to the other three. "We'll circle back and let you know where they are." At that, he flew up into the air with Monica in his arms.

"So close to a romance movie," Weiss muttered. In the air, Derek was flying overhead, with him and Monica looking in separate directions. He found a clearing, and identified Jaune and Cardin. It looked like Cardin had some sap on his armor, and an Ursa Major was interested solely in him. Derek pointed them out, and Monica nodded. He quickly circled back, and found where the other three were. He swooped down as close to them as he could.

"They're not too far up ahead," he said. "Pick up the pace and you should get there."

"Why not fly there?" Ruby asked, slightly picking up her pace.

"I can't fly three people at the same time. I don't even enjoy flying one person around."

"Thanks Derek," Monica added in dryly. They reached the clearing soon, and saw that Cardin was about to be killed by the Ursa. _Oh well. I guess Jaune won't have to deal with him. _The Ursa swung it's paw, but Jaune's shield intercepted it. _Why are you playing hero Jaune? You'll end up dead, and for nothing. _He sensed Monica raise her spear, and he put his hand on her chest.

"Wait," he said. He saw Pyrrha do something similar with Weiss. "Let's see if he can complete the play of being hero." The fight continued, and Jaune was not doing well. After he was sent sailing across the clearing by the Ursa's claws, they could see he was hurting. _And now team JNPR will be left leaderless. _Jaune ran forward for one final attack, and Derek immediately noticed that his shield hand was going unattended, and that the claw would certainly kill him. Then, the shield began to glow black and it raised up to block the strike, and Jaune cut off the head of the Ursa. Derek looked over and saw that Pyrrha's hand was raised, with a black glow around it. _What a naughty trick Ms. Nikos. I can't say I don't understand why you did that. Maybe now the fool will understand why he needs help._

"Um," Ruby asked. "What?"

"Well," Pyrrha started. "You have your speed, Weiss has her glyphs, my semblance, is polarity."

"You have control over poles," Ruby muttered.

"No you dunce," Weiss said. "It means she has control over magnetism."

"Magnets are cool too." Derek and Pyrrha turned to leave, and they were stopped by an outcry from Weiss.

"We have to tell them what happened."

"We could," Pyrrha said.

"Or," Derek contributed. "We could let this go by, and boost Jaune's confidence."

"Way to say it so bluntly D," Monica said.

"Come on. Let's get back to the others. Also, I'm not flying you." They walked on for a while, until Ruby's curiosity got the best of her.

"What are your semblances?" She asked Derek and Monica.

"Control over electricity," Monica replied. "That combined with my spear is a deadly combo."

"Whoa. What about you Derek?"

"Ruby," Derek said in an annoyed tone. "I'm a partial Taituo, I have wings so I can fly, I have a tail that can act as a spear, I can breathe fire, I'm fire resistant, and I'm covered in scales that are tough as metal. Do you believe that I actually have a semblance on top of all of that?"

"Well, you never know."

"That was one of the things-." Derek stopped mid-sentence. "That was a side affect."

"So," Weiss said, steering away the topic of the conversation. "You flew Monica over here."

"Not the first time he's flown me," Monica said.

"So much for that promise," Derek grumbled. "Yes, I flew her to get her to stop asking me. I saw the advantage of flying with two sets of eyes, and I took advantage of it."

"Sure," Pyrrha teased. "That's the only-."

"If you continue to talk of this matter in that light that you are so poorly hinting at, I will kill every single person here and say a Taituo did it. It wouldn't be false." Pyrrha stopped talking, and Monica smiled. "If you keep smiling, I will kill you." Monica suppressed her smile, but Derek could tell that she was still smiling. "I'll meet you there before I kill someone." He extended his wings, and flew away. Monica just watched him and smiled.

"What I would do to be able to fly like that," she said quietly.

"I'm still concerned about what he had to do to get that," Ruby said. "He's so secretive about it, that it's concerning." Monica just nodded in agreement.

_Beacon Dorms: DRGN_

Derek was listening to the conversation that Pyrrha and Jaune were having. He could tell that Jaune had finally set aside his pride, and accepted Pyrrha's offer of help. _Good. Everyone needs a pride check every once in a while. _He looked behind him at his sleeping teammates, and filed the note away in his brain. _It's a good thing to remember, even for me. Though it's rarely pride that makes me do things. _

"Mind if I join you?" Came a quiet voice from behind him. He turned to see Monica standing right behind him.

"If I say no," Derek started. "You'll stay anyway." Monica sat down next to him, and she could see that Derek was ready to fly away.

"Derek, please stay. I want to talk to you about some things."

"What things? If you bring up my past, I'm leaving."

"I've decided that you have your reasons for not saying anything about your past, and I'm not going to ask you."

"Good."

"But I do need to talk to you about the present." _Here we go. _"You have to stop pushing people away." _I'm going to take off soon. _"The people around you care about you." _You wouldn't if I let you into the full truth. _"But above all else, I really care about you. I want you to know that." _Is she saying what I think she's saying? _"Derek, you've been trying to ignore me for four plus years, and I've kept up. I don't care what you are, or what your past is, I care about you as something more then a friend." She pulled herself to his lips. She felt strange. Her skin was smooth, which felt odd against his scales. She pulled out of the kiss, and Derek was staring at her. He remained in stunned silence, until Monica finally spoke up. "Derek?"

"Monica," he said slowly. "You don't deserve me."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You don't deserve me for many reasons, and one of them is because you will be hurt if you stay close to me. I can't stand to see that happen. I push people away because everyone who has ever been close to me, has died. My family, my friends, the people that protected me. I arrived at Ozpin's doorstep, and he gave me an opportunity for revenge to those that did this to me. I came to Signal with years of training, and I tried to hide what I was. Then you showed up. You were so persistent that it made it almost impossible. I never thought that it would against the very creature that my being is based off of would be the thing to test what I am. I'm sorry Monica, but I don't want you to ever be hurt. If you get involved with me, you'll be tortured and killed." He stood in the opening of the window. _You just made this so much worse then you could possibly imagine. _Monica still sat in stunned silence at what he had told her. He dove out of the window, and took a flight in the night. _Oh Monica, by admitting that you confirmed my worst fear and you've made me feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest, but I can't let them do it again._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

Child of Grimm Ch. 9

**Someone commented on how dark my OC was, and what did you expect. He views himself as a monster, he has no one left that he cares about, and on top of all of that, he's trying to protect the people around him. **

He was walking in a straight line. In front of him were his friends. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nathan, Gwen, and Monica. He kept going straight, not seeing another alternative. As he got closer, they seemed to get further away from him. Soon, they started to disappear. He picked up his pace, and started to run. They just started to disappear faster. Soon, all that was left was Monica. He managed to get there just before she vanished. He stood up, and looked around them to see all of their bodies lying around him.

He shot awake from his dream. He looked outside of the window, and saw that the moon was still up. This had been going on since he confessed to Monica his past. He almost never got what passed for a full nights sleep anymore, always waking up before the sun was up. He looked over at his teammates and saw that they were all still sleeping. _This can't continue to go on. _He stood up, and walked over to the window. He jumped out, and flew around the school. He kept flying until the sun came up, and he then flew back to his dorm. He saw that Nathan was up, and Gwen and Monica were still sleeping.

"Hey D," Nathan said. "You're back early." Derek looked at the sun, and cursed himself. He realized that he had gotten back earlier then he had intended too, and earlier then he normally would. "What brings you back so soon." Derek shrugged, and sat down on his bed. He pulled out his sword, and began to sharpen it. "Do you mind me saying something, Derek?" Derek gave him a hard stare. "You've been becoming pretty distant for the last week, and I've seen you wake up pretty early in the morning. Is something wrong." Derek lowered his hood, and allowed Nathan to stare at his scaled head. "You know that's not what I meant. Come on man, you've been depressed or something."

"Not depressed," Derek finally muttered. "I'm doing what I can to protect you three idiots. That, unfortunately, means becoming distant."

"Protect us? D, what are you talking about?"

"About a week ago, I talked to Monica. She said something to me, and I shared with her information about my past. I wanted to stop, but I just couldn't. None of the people that have ever tried to help me, or cared for me, or had much relation to me have ever survived. I made it to Ozpin's doorstep, and he promised to take care of me. I was sent off to the most amount of private training possible, and I barely spent time with Ozpin. He sent me off to Signal, and there I trained for years, always keeping my past behind me."

"D," Nathan put his arm on Derek's shoulder. "No one is going to try and hurt us. We're students at Beacon, we're safe here."

"What happens when we leave this place? The people that did this to me, want nothing more then to get me back for their purposes. My sole purpose in life, was to kill. I was created with no other reason then to kill."

"D, if you keep talking in riddles, I can't help you. Who did this to you?"

"I don't know!" Derek said angrily. "I don't know who they are, or where they went. But I do know the symbol they bear. The second I find them, I'm going to kill them."

"How many others of you were there?"

"Three were made. A Nevermore, a Death Stalker, and me. I'm the only one that survived the first few days." Nathan nodded, and then stood up.

"Me and Gwen were thinking about greeting some of the other students that are arriving for the Vytal festival. You want to join?" Derek shook his head.

"I don't think greeting them with a monster is a great idea." Nathan shrugged. "Have you asked Monica yet?"

"No. She hasn't been up to. She seems a little bit retreated, this might cheer her up." At that, Monica and Gwen woke up. "Speak of the devil, hey Moni."

"Hey Nathan," she replied.

"Me and Gwen were thinking about stopping by the docks and welcoming in some of the arriving students. You want to join?" Monica thought for a long time.

"Sure. Why not. Is Derek coming?"

"I already declined," Derek said. "Figured a Taituo isn't exactly a good welcome." Monica nodded, and went to get dressed. As soon as she was finished, Gwen also finished and the three of them left to go the docks. _I try to shut people out, and I'm just letting them in. _Derek leaned back in his bed, and just waited for them to return.

_Docks_

Nathan, Gwen, and Monica were walking along the docks, and they were waiting on some of the students to come in. They browsed the shops while walking along, this having been the first time they really explored Vale since they got into Beacon.

"Did Derek say why he didn't want to come?" Gwen asked.

"Oh you know," Nathan replied. "For the normal Derek reasons. Depressed, angry, confused, annoyed, everything that we've come to know and love about our dragon friend." Gwen laughed, but Monica just looked concerned. Nathan noticed this, and he gave Monica a nudge. "Chill out Moni, he's always been fine before, and so he'll continue to be fine."

"I don't think he's always been fine," Monica replied. "You know how he is now, and that's not exactly encouraging for his mental state."

"Come on Moni, lighten up. We're out here to enjoy ourselves. Don't get caught up in things like that."

"HEY STOP THAT FAUNUS!" Someone called out. They all looked over and saw a monkey faunus running away from a ship.

"Should we help?" Monica asked.

"Nah," Derek replied. "No common cop is going to catch a monkey faunus." Monica nodded, and they just walked around the docks. At one point, they noticed some familiar faces.

"Hey," Gwen called out. The members of team RWBY and one other girl turned to face them.

"Hey guys," Ruby called out. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"We stopped by to greet some of the students from the other schools. What are you four doing here and who's that?"

"I'm Penny," the red head said enthusiastically. "It is very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Penny," Gwen said.

"We're here because Weiss wants to spy on the competition," Yang said.

"And Penny here is about to help me find the filthy faunus from the ship," Weiss said.

"Stop calling him that!" Blake said angrily. Nathan leaned over to the other two.

"Now seems like a good time to leave and go back to D," he muttered. They quickly nodded. "Well, it was good to see you but we have to be heading back."

"Don't leave us!" Ruby called out.

"Your team, not ours." The three members of DRGN left the docks, and went back to their dorm.

_Beacon Academy Dorms: DRGN_

Derek was still lying back on his bed. He had already completed his assignments that he had for the weekend, and left him with too much time to think. _Why haven't they found me yet? I guess that since I've been sticking to Beacon, they haven't heard anything about unusual flights or shapes. I guess that I should of have thought of that. I can't keep this up for much longer. _The door opened, and the rest of DRGN walked into the dorms.

"Hope you're ready to clog your ears D," Nathan said immediately.

"Why is that?" Derek asked.

"Weiss and Blake seem to be having an argument that doesn't look like it'll end anytime soon. We got here before them, but they should be here by night."

"What was the argument about?"

"Weiss said something about faunus," Gwen said. "About the criminal activity with them and the White Fang, and Blake seems to of have taken offense to it." _That explains it. The kitty's secret might come out._

"I will," Derek replied. _Time to open them up to the sound of argument. _

_That night_

True to Nathan's word, Blake and Weiss were still arguing violently, and Derek didn't need to keep his ears open to hear it.

"No rest for the wicked," Gwen complained. "I bet Derek is already asleep."

"No I'm up," Derek said. "I'm enjoying myself listening to an argument that doesn't involve me talking yelling at you."

"You're cold D," Nathan said.

"I never said I wasn't."

"You got any details you want to share?" Derek shook his head.

"Just a lot of back and forth on why the faunus are or are not criminals. A lot of the talk points to the White Fang. Oh, Weiss is playing the 'they hurt my family for no reason' card."

"WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!" Came an audible shout._ The cat is quite literally out of the bag now. _

"I don't believe you need a translation there." Derek hopped onto his bed, and lay back.

"Was she-?" Monica started.

"A member of the White Fang? Yes."

"You knew?"

"Let's say that Blake saw my wings on accident one day, and I smelled the cat scent on her. She told me not to tell anyone and she promised not to inform anyone of my wings. She upheld her end of the deal, so I did with mine."

"Well go help her!"

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because she's your friend." Derek sighed, and looked out the window. He saw a monkey faunus talking with Blake, and then he saw her leave with him.

"I believe someone else is already taking a number." Derek stepped away from the window, and ignored the angry yelling by Monica. _You can shout to your hearts content Monica, I'm not flying out to help her. She needs to make the decision of whether or not to trust her team again on her own. I don't believe I can help with that. _Derek closed his eyes, and waited for the nightmares to greet him.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. **


	10. Chapter 10

Child of Grimm Ch. 10

It was just another morning for Derek. He woke up from the nightmares, and he took his early flight. He got back and saw that Gwen and Nathan had left him a note. He read it, and learned that the school had asked them to go get something for them. _They're isolating the members of my team. Good. Let them get tried for once, and not me. _He leaned back in his bed, and waited on Monica to inevitably return. Things had gotten strange with them. After their shared confessions, this was to be expected. But after Blake it seemed as though she just couldn't forgive him. _I don't care. If she has an issue with how I treat teams that aren't my own, then she can take it up with the people that put me in charge. _He heard a soft knock on his door, and he sighed. _It's not Monica, so who the hell is it? _He opened up the door, and found himself facing Ruby. He went to close his door, but Ruby stopped him from doing so.

"I know why you're here," he said. "I'm not going to be of much use."

"Derek," Ruby started. "Please. You can fly over Vale, and-."

"And get myself killed? Do you think most people see a figure covered in scales flying over head and think that it's a person? I'd get shot out of the sky before you'd know it."

"I thought your scales were like armor?"

"They wouldn't do me much good against a solid dust explosion. I'm afraid I won't be as much help as you would hope. Why not ask JNPR?"

"They're out right now. They won't get back today." _They're doing this on purpose I swear to god. _"Derek, if someone from your team went missing, wouldn't you want to find them at any cost?"

"Well, yes but-."

"Then do it for me. Help me figure out what happened to my teammate." _If she starts pouting, I'm going to have to attribute it to her being with Monica. _

"I still have heightened senses. That'll be of more help. I'll travel on my own and contact you if I find her. On one condition, don't bring this up with anyone else. If anyone asks, I happened to go out at the same time as you. Nothing more."

"Thank you." Ruby extended her arms.

"And don't hug me." Ruby backed up quickly.

"Hey Ruby," came a voice from nearby. _God damnit. _Monica was standing nearby. "What brings you here?"

"I just came to ask Derek about helping me with my work," she replied. "He said yes."

"Is Blake back yet?"

"No."

"That's awful. I'll go out and help you look if you want."

"That won't be necessary Monica," Derek intervened.

"Now why is that?"

"Because he agreed to help me," Ruby blurted. _I'm going to kill her. I swear, I will kill her._

"Really? Well, I'm coming with you then." _I won't be able to get rid of her._

"Monica," he said slowly. "I'm going by myself, so we would be traveling alone."

"I don't care. I'll keep you company." _This will be faster if I just agree and ignore her. _Derek threw on his hoodie, and strapped on his sword. He then turned, and left with Monica trailing him closely. Ruby rejoined what remained of her team, and then they left.

_Streets of Vale_

He had stopped yet again. He raised his head in the air, and tilted his head to the side. The scent trail had changed again, this time changing direction. _It sure is windy today. That's making her scent more difficult to follow._

"Another wind change?" Monica asked. Derek nodded. "It's going to be night soon."

"I can see in the dark," Derek replied simply.

"I can't though."

"I'll guide you, stop worrying. I'm sure Blake is fine. She went with some sort of monkey faunus."

"Monkey faunus? Did he have a white shirt and yellow hair?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"We saw him earlier at the docks. I guess he figured out what Blake was while he was there."

"I'm surprised Nathan never realized it. Sure, a wolf faunus isn't exactly an extremely heightened sense of awareness, but it should of have been enough to smell the cat on her." He kept walking along, this time changing the direction that he was going. He could only follow where the scent took him, and that was making things difficult. _It'll be night until I'm able to get a good read on her scent. That means I'll be stuck here with Monica suppressing what she wants to say. And she thinks she's being subtle about it. _"Listen, Monica. If you're going to keep walking along in an obvious suppressed silence, I'm going to leave you here by yourself."

"I didn't think you wanted to say anything," Monica replied.

"I don't want you to say anything that I've already established against." Monica nodded, and kept walking along in silence. _Does she hope to out silence me? I certainly hope not, otherwise she'll beat herself. _This walk continued for a long time, and Monica remained in silence. The moon was beginning to set, and the wind had finally died down. Derek tilted his head again, and he realized that he had a general idea of where Blake was going, and the monkey faunus was with her. _Why are you going to the docks kitty? _"I believe I know where they are going," Derek finally declared.

"Where?" Monica asked.

"I believe they're going to the docks. The smell is going in that general direction, and it keeps traveling in that direction. The monkey faunus is with her." Monica nodded, and they left in that direction.

"Should we call the rest of RWBY?"

"No, or not until we know for sure." Monica nodded again, and they continued on.

_Docks_

The sun had set, and Derek and Monica were set up on one side of the docks, looking for Blake and the monkey faunus. _Where are you hiding kitty? _He took a deep breath of air through his nose, and then looked across the way. He tapped Monica on the shoulder, and pointed. She looked over, and saw Blake on the roof. Monica reached back for her scroll, but Derek placed his hand on her arm.

"What?" Monica asked.

"She's waiting for something," he said quietly. "I want to know why."

"So we just wait here?" Derek nodded. "Great." Monica stretched out, and started to wait. They both waited for a while, until Monica finally gave up on silence. "How are you staying so quiet? I've been doing everything I could to make you feel awkward."

"I've had four years of practice," Derek replied coldly.

"Derek, we've grown really apart in the past week. I hate the fact that you're acting like that night never happened."

"I will continue to do as such."

"Why?"

"Because that night has been haunting me for the past week. You've stirred fears that I had pushed behind me, and they have bombarded my dreams for a long time." Derek went silent, trying to signify that this conversation was over.

"You need to push past those fears Derek."

"I'm done talking about this subject." Suddenly, Derek saw the monkey faunus walk up to Blake. Shortly there after, they could hear an airship come into a landing sequence nearby. _Is this why she's here? How would she know about this? _They watched a group of people walk out with masks on covering their faces. _I can't see any signs of an emblem on them. I'll need to know who they are, and what they mean to Blake._

"HEY!" A voice called from the ship. "WHAT'S THE HOLD UP? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves right now, so why don't you animals pick up the pace."

"Is that Roman Torchwick?" Monica asked. She saw Derek's blank stare. "A wanted criminal."

"I know who he is, but why is he working with them." Suddenly, they saw Blake behind Torchwick with a sword up to his throat. She removed her bow, revealing her cat ears. _Why would Blake remove the bow? That would mean nothing to them. Unless they were members of the White Fang. _One of the White Fang members turned to face Blake, and that revealed the logo on his back. Derek's eyes narrowed, and his body began to steam.

"Derek?" Monica asked, concerned. "What are you doing."

"It was them," he replied, his voice filled with fury. "They did this to me, they killed my parents, and they're responsible for what my life is."

"Derek?"

"No. I'm the monster that they hoped I would be, I am Drake." His clothes started to curl up in flames. His clothes all burned off of his body, and he was left in his armor. A loud shot was heard, and they saw Blake go flying back, with smoke coming out of Torchwick's weapon. "Now they'll pay." He flew up into the air, and landed next to a White Fang ship. A group of White Fang ran out at him, and raised their guns at him.

"Hello boys," he said coldly. "Do you remember what you helped create?" Drake extended his wings in full, and drew his sword. The White Fang all backed up a bit, but quickly stepped forward again. "Come and get me."

"You're coming with us," one of them said. They all open fired on him, trying to take him down. All of the shots bounced harmlessly off of his armor, or his scales. They all ran out of ammo, and Derek just continued to stand there.

"My turn." Drake flew up in the air, and flew forward at the group of White Fang. He slashed his sword into the chest of one, blew a column of flames at another, and stabbed his tail into the chest of another. The others backed up, and drew their swords. The first rushed at him and swung his sword into his neck. The sword shattered on impact, and Drake stabbed his tail into the chest of that one. He blew a column of flames at the others. He saw several airships trying to fly away, and he quickly flew up into the air. He flew forward at the airship, and blew a column of flames at one of the engines on the wings. The ship crashed to the ground, and he took down several more of the airships. _Are you happy with the monster that you created? How do you feel now? _He looked down to see Blake and the monkey faunus fighting with Torchwick, and Monica was trying to keep some of the White Fang off of them.

"HEY!" Called out a voice. Drake turned to face Ruby, and saw that there was someone else with her. He ignored them, and just continued to take down the airships. He saw that Monica was in trouble, and he flew by all of them, and torched several of the White Fang by her. He landed next to her, and started to help her fight. He saw that Monica was staring off in a direction, and he looked with her. He saw the girl that was with Ruby taking down some of the airships, and Drake realized that Torchwick was getting away. He started to fly up in the air, but Monica grabbed his tail.

"Derek!" She yelled at him. "Let go!"

"Not after what they did!" He yelled back.

"He isn't a White Fang, your chance will come. Just come down." Derek slowly drifted back down to the ground.

"This is only because I know you're correct." He heard Blake and the monkey faunus walking up to where they are.

"Derek?" Blake asked. "How did you find me?"

"Your scent combined with the monkey faunus' makes it easy to track you," he replied.

"Hey," the monkey faunus said. "My name's Sun. Sun-."

"I don't care." He turned and raised his wings.

"Where are you going?" Monica asked him.

"I'm going home. I need time to think over this."

"But the authorities will want to know about this," Blake said.

"I don't care." He turned around, and flew off.

"I guess I made some progress," Monica said silently.

_Later on that night: Team DRGN's Dorm_

Monica finally opened up the door, and was immediately swarmed by Nathan and Gwen.

"How are you?" Gwen asked.

"What happened?" Nathan asked.

"How many were there?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"Slow down guys," Monica said. "First, I'm fine, we stopped the White Fang, there were a lot, and everyone was fine. Isn't Derek here?"

"No," Gwen replied. "I figured he went out on a flight."

"He's not here?"

"No. What's wrong?" Monica looked out of the window, and looked off in the distance. Now, he might of have left them. He may of have gone off to seek revenge now that he had a face to those that did this to him. Then, she had an idea. She quickly threw her spear on her bed, and left the room.

"Where are you going?" Gwen asked.

"To go see if he really left," Monica replied. The other two looked at each other, and watched her leave.

_Dorms Rooftop_

_I wonder if she'll realize that where I am. _

"Hey," came a voice from behind him. _So I have my answer._

"Hello Monica," he replied. "I knew you would find me up here."

"I hoped that you were here." Derek was still dressed in his armor, with his wings lying to his sides. "Why haven't you left? I know that the White Fang are the people that did this to you, and now you have a face to them. So why not leave?"

"I thought about it. When I took off, I was close to seeing if I could trail them. But my mind came to one thing, I should of have left when they first took off. So what stopped me? It was the knowledge that I can be of more use to my team, and my friends, then I would be able to out there."

"How?"

"I have to let go of this. The man that did this to me is probably dead, and I still don't have a name for his face. It's time to focus on my future, and that's a future of DRGN." He stood up from the ledge, and folded up his wings.

"Derek, did you think about anything else?"

"If you mean if I thought about you, then the answer is yes. The way I view it, if the White Fang wants to try and kill those that are close to me, you'd probably be at the top of that list regardless of my decision." He unfolded his wings, and opened up his arms. Monica smiled, and walked into his arms. He held her close, and took off in a flight.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 11

Child of Grimm Ch. 11

Derek finally landed back on the roof, with Monica being as happy as possible. He gently set her down, and then folded up his wings. Monica wrapped her arms around Derek, and pulled him close. Derek cautiously hugged back, and let her hold on for a minute. _If this is what I've been rejecting, then I truly question my decision. _

"Monica," Derek finally said. "We should get back. It'd look suspicious if you were gone for any longer."

"Suspicious?" Monica asked.

"I don't think I'm ready to go public with this. Not for me, for you. If people find out you're involved with a Child of Grimm, in anything besides a team, they'll come after you. I don't think I'm ready to see that happen."

"I can handle them. I'm a better fighter then most of the morons that would come after me."

"Mentally, it's much more of a burden. Please, just keep this between us." Monica nodded and Derek let out a sigh of relief. _No one should have to go through the pain that I did. _They both walked back to their dorm, and got ready for questions.

_Beacon Academy Dorms: DRGN_

Derek and Monica opened the door, and walked into the room. Gwen immediately rushed Monica, while Nathan walked up to Derek.

"Yo D," Nathan said. "Where were you?"

"Out," Derek simply replied. "Contemplating whether or not to leave this place and go after the people that did this to me."

"What made you come back?"

"Monica found me just before I left, and she talked me down." Nathan nodded, and went back to his bed. Derek lay down, and closed his eyes. _Hopefully tonight they won't visit me._

Gwen was still talking to Monica. "So, you just found him?"

"Yeah," Monica replied. "Is Derek asleep now?" Gwen looked over to him, and nodded. "Good. You can't let what I'm about to tell you leave this room, nor can it leave your ears." Gwen nodded eagerly. 'She'll stay quiet. I can trust Gwen.' "I talked Derek down by just showing up to the roof. He backed down, and told me that he thought about me, and that he wanted to date me."

"Really?" Gwen asked in obvious shock.

"Well, in the way that Derek would say it."

"Vague, depressing, involving some form of violence."

"Bingo."

"So why doesn't it leave the room?"

"He's paranoid. He's worried about what people will do to me if they find out that I'm with him."

"Sounds like D." Gwen hopped back into her bed, and turned out her light. "Night Moni."

"Night Gwen." Monica leaned back in her head, and fell asleep smiling.

He was in an open field. He was looking around, trying to figure out where he was. Finally, a man appeared in front of him. He recognized him, and he rushed forward at him. The man turned, and raised Monica in front of him.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said. "You wouldn't hurt her to get to me, would you?" Derek stopped, and backed up slightly. "Now, I'm sure you realize who I am. I'm not here as a dream, I'm here as a message. We haven't been hunting for you for a while, and now we never considered it again. But after seeing what you've achieved, I think I'll just wait for you to come to us. I don't believe that any of our idiots can take you down."

"Why are you with Torchwick?" Derek asked him.

"Business my friend. I'll wait for you to come to us, because I don't know if we have any operatives that can take you and there's no way that Torchwick and the three he's working for will help us."

"Three people he's working for?"

"I've already told you too much. You'll get to live for now, but I want you to think of this. What does Ozpin really want with you? One of your friends is the heiress to a company that uses faunus labor. Another one is a little girl, and her sister is a headstrong. You have a faunus friend that has a past that you don't fully understand. The other team involves someone that you know to of have lied his way in, and a friend that will do anything for him. You have a quiet boy, and an energetic girl, neither of whom you even know. Then you have your team. A cocky wolf faunus, and a secretive girl. Then there's Monica, the one you care for the most. No, she has nothing to hide. You know all there is to know about her, and you are correct in that. But that makes you quite weak. Now, for a taste of what might come in the future." He brought up a pistol to Monica's head, and fired.

"NO!" Derek shot awake, his hand raised in the air. His teammates had gotten used to this, so most of them didn't wake up, except for Monica. She woke up, and walked over to Derek. He was panting violently, trying to shake the image from his head.

"Derek?" Monica asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm already regretting my decision," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"He visited me in my dream. The man responsible for this. He threatened all of you, and revealed the parts of you that scare me."

"It's okay. He won't be able to hurt us. Take your flight, and get it out of your head." Derek nodded, and threw on his armor and clothes. He ran to the window, and dove out of it. Monica watched him fly off, and worry started to line her face. Revealed the parts of you that scare me. Did he mean with all of them?

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 12

Child of Grimm Ch. 12

It was the fourth day after he had the dream, and things were finally getting better. He hadn't had a nightmare, and his school work was going along better then he ever anticipated. He was still undefeated as a fighter, and his time as being studied as a Grimm in Port's class had decreased. The only thing he was beginning to get frustrated by, was the fact that his team hadn't yet been called away on anything. _We have to initiate the fight, and not the other way around. _He was about to close his eyes, but he decided to take one flight before bed. He quickly did so, and something caught his attention. He quickly landed, and walked up to what he saw.

"I figured you would find me soon enough," someone said from the shadows. Derek drew his sword, and raised it in the direction of the voice. Someone in a mask stepped out from the shadows, and Derek recognized that uniform. "Yes, I figured that you would recognize the uniform of a White Fang."

"Who are you?" Derek asked.

"No one important to them, so therefor not to you. I'm merely here to deliver a message. I'm sure that we'll face each other soon enough."

"Tell me the message and I won't kill you."

"No need to be so threatening. The message is quite simple, expect something more soon."

"Now what is that supposed to mean?"

"I can honestly tell you that I don't know, but expect the answer tomorrow." The White Fang turned around, and ran away. _Expect something more soon? Would they attack the school? The White Fang doesn't have the resources to do so. No sense in pondering about it. _Derek flew back to his dorm, and went to sleep.

_The Next Day: Grimm Studies._

"And so that is the best way to kill a Taituo," Port finished. _This is something I already know all too well. _"Although, it appears that our friend Drake didn't receive this particular weakness."

"That was the idea," Derek grumbled. Monica elbowed him slightly, causing him to just shuffle slightly away from her.

"Now," Port boomed. "For the next part of class." A loud ring could be heard from Port's scroll. He walked over to it, and checked to see the message. "The next part for all but the members of team DRGN. Professor Ozpin is calling you to his office." They all nodded, and picked up their books. _This must have something to do with the message from last night. _They all walked, the other three members of DRGN buzzing.

"We might finally see some action," Nathan said enthusiastically.

"Calm down wolfy," Gwen told him. "We will get to see some action, but I'm more concerned about the what."

"Probably nothing big," Monica added in. "I mean, we haven't seen any active duty as a team yet. What do you think Derek?"

"I don't know," Derek replied. "It seems to me that Monica is probably correct, but there is nothing that we can do until we get there."

"You mind giving us a ride D?" Nathan asked him.

"Yes, very much so." The walked on in silence after that. They finally reached Ozpin's office, and Derek opened up the door. Ozpin was sitting in his desk, with a scroll next to him. Derek noticed that RWBY was also there.

"Good," Ozpin said. "We finally have the remaining team."

"I wasn't informed there would be another team involved with this," Derek said.

"Will this be an issue?"

"I'm just more curious as to what you deem worthy of two teams, and two of your higher rated first year teams for that matter."

"Take a seat you four and I'll explain." DRGN pulled up four chairs, and sat in anticipation. "We have some very inconsistent reports from a small town. The location is up on your scrolls, and I want you eight to investigate."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I'm with you," Derek contributed. "This 'inconsistent reports' thing has me a little concerned."

"There have been reports of a Grimm attacking a town, but no one has been able to find it. No one knows what is going on. I thought that RWBY could provide the resources to interview the villages while DRGN scouts out the area. You four will be in charge of calling for assistance." The two teams nodded, and checked their scrolls. RWBY and DRGN stood up, but Derek remained seated.

"You seven go ahead," Derek called out. "I'll catch up." They nodded, and Derek looked up at Ozpin. "Is this the reason you wanted me on this?"

"I knew that you would recognize this town," Ozpin said.

"Serpent Ville," Derek said in a slow voice. "Snake town in English. Or the place that I grew up."

"That's the main reason I want you on it. I need you to guide RWBY into town and familiarize them with it's inhabitants before you leave."

"I will." _I guess I'm going home. _

_Serpent Ville_

"Don't freak out you seven," Derek said. He had stripped down to just his armor, to try and make the inhabitants feel a little more comfortable. "That will only get them more no edge. As you can imagine, not a whole lot of people come to this town. It's isolated, out of the way, and most humans aren't going out this far into these woods. Let me talk to start, and then DRGN and I will split off from RWBY." Everyone nodded, and Derek stepped out into the light. "HEY!" Derek called out. Several people in the town looked his way, and some of them pulled out weapons. "No, don't be alarmed. I used to be a serpent faunus, but now I'm like this. I used to live here." Some of the people relaxed a little bit. One person stepped out from the others. He seemed slightly older then everyone else.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"I don't know. My parents first names were Stephanie and Marcus." The man stood up a little straighter, and smiled.

"What is the name you use?"

"Derek."

"Well then Derek, it's good to have you back with us."

"I'm not here on a personal trip. Come on out guys." The remainder of DRGN and RWBY stepped out into the open. All of the inhabitants backed up slightly, but Derek held up his hand. "These are my friends. We all attend Beacon academy, and we're here to investigate about the Grimm attacks you've been having."

"I see," the man said. "My name is Arthur Scales. Will you eight please follow me into my home, and I will assist you with your investigation." The other seven looked cautious, but Derek nodded enthusiastically. They followed the man, and he walked into a small hut. They all followed him, and a set of guards closed the door. They both wore armor that was identical to Derek's.

"Okay Derek," Arthur said. "I know that you are going to Beacon to seek vengeance. All I want to know is, how much did Ozpin tell you?"

"You know about Ozpin?" Ruby asked.

"Of course. Derek?"

"He said the reports were inconclusive," Derek replied. "No one could find the Grimm, but there had been reports."

"Then he told you what we know."

"He told me that myself and Nathan should lead two teams to try and find the Grimm, and my friends here will be conducting some interviews."

"I see. Well, will you tell your friend in the bow to remove it. Our villagers can smell the cat on you, and they'll feel insulted."

"Am I the only one who couldn't tell?" Nathan asked angrily.

"Yes," Derek said simply. Blake removed her bow, and her cat ears stood up. "Thank you Arthur, we will conduct our research. Do you mind if I talk to you afterwards?"

"Of course," Arthur replied. Derek went over to the door, and exited the building.

"Nathan and Gwen, you should be a team. Myself and Monica will be the other team. RWBY, I suggest you go without partners. The others will feel more comfortable without a show of force." The seven of them nodded, and separated. Derek walked into the woods, and held his arms out for Monica. "Let's go Moni." She climbed into his arms, and he took off. "Keep an eye out for anything that looks like a Grimm, or even a person. Anything that might lead to our mystery Grimm." _This place is filled with people to fight. What could have them afraid?_

_Serpent Ville_

Blake was walking amongst the snake faunus, trying to pick one out that looked like they might know something. Finally, she saw someone with a decently large scar across their chest.

"Hey," Blake called out. The person turned to face her, and she walked up to him. "Hi, my name is Blake. I'm one of the people that is investigating the Grimm. Is it okay if I ask you some questions?"

"Yes," the person replied.

"What do you know about the Grimm?"

"Not a whole lot. I saw it, once. It seemed different from the other Grimm."

"Is that how you got that scar?"

"It is. What did you say your name was?"

"Blake."

"Last name as well?"

"Blake Belladonna. Why are you asking me that?"

"So you're the one who they talked about. You're friend is in for one hell of a ride." The faunus turned around, and ran off. Blake stood their confused, and then something clicked in her brain.

_Derek and Monica_

Derek finally spotted something on the ground. It was someone in a gray hood, looking up in the sky at him. Derek pointed his tail in that direction, and Monica nodded in understanding. He took them to the ground, and looked over at the person standing there. He was facing them, but his face was concealed.

"Hello," Derek said. "My name is Derek Flame, and this is my friend, Monica Rogue. We're here to learn about a few reports of Grimm in the area. Do you know anything about it?"

"That depends," the guy said quietly. "You said your name is Derek Flame, I don't think you're telling the truth."

"I don't know my actual name, but I can tell you my official name is Drake Flame."

"Good. My name is Scorpio Venom, and I do know something about the Grimm." Derek's eyes widened. He quickly turned to Monica.

"MOVE!" The man raised his head, revealing his eight gray eyes. He quickly ripped off his jacket, revealing white plating that covered all of his body. A large gray stinger was at his back. He pulled out a sword that was lined with some form of green slime. He rushed forward at Derek, and slashed his sword at his neck. Derek only just got out of the way, but the green slime dripped on his scales. He could tell by the feel of it that it was some form of venom. He swung around his sword, and it bounced harmlessly off of his plating.

"So Mr. Flame," said Scorpio. "It appears that our swords aren't useful against each other. Shall we ditch them and fight with what we both have?" Drake nodded and tossed aside his sword. "I take it that you must be Drake right now?" Drake nodded again. "Good. I never would of have wanted to face an inferior opponent." Drake flew up into the air slightly, and Scorpio readied his tail. Drake spit out a column of flames, and Scorpio dodged it easily. He then spit out some of the green slime that coated his sword. Drake flew to his side, and avoided it. He spit out some flames in front of Scorpio, who backed up cautiously. "Well then Drake, I guess that you have made it difficult for me to get to you. Sadly, I have a great leaping ability. Now, why don't AAAAA!" Scorpio suddenly seized up, and then fell over. Drake looked over and saw Monica standing behind him, her spear cracking with electricity.

"Thanks," Drake said. He flew down, and readied some bindings that he had prepared.

"Don't mention it," Monica said. "That much electricity will keep him out for a while. He said something about fighting with what you have?"

"His name," Drake said slowly. "His name is Scorpio Venom. My name is Drake Flame. Death Stalker and Venom, Taituo and Fire. He's like me, a Child of Grimm." Monica nodded very slowly, and tried to pick him up. She quickly realized that she couldn't, and Drake walked over and slung him over his shoulder.

_A little while later: Serpent Ville_

The members of RWBY, Gwen and Nathan were waiting on Monica and Derek. They had gotten a message saying that they had found something big. Finally, they both walked out of the forest with someone slung over Derek's shoulder.

"Hey," Nathan said. "What's going on with him?"

"Wait until we get to Beacon," Derek said. They nodded, and jumped into the airship that was nearby them.

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

Ozpin was sitting in his desk, waiting on the two teams to return. The door opened up, and Ozpin turned to see not only DRGN and RWBY, but one more person with his face shielded.

"Hello you eight," he said. "What did you find." Derek threw the person into the chair, and pulled back his hood, revealing his eight eyes. Derek lifted something up from behind him, and a stinger was just visible. "What is this?"

"They're back at it," Derek said. "He's one of me. A Child of Grimm. I want to talk to him, but I need you present." Ozpin nodded, and Derek spun around Scorpio. "Hello Scorpio. I know that you won't talk to any of them, so just talk to me."

"It doesn't matter to me," Scorpio replied. His face was also visibly covered in the white plating that he had seen earlier. "If they are here, then they can learn about what we are."

"When did they do this to you?"

"A while ago. I've only just been cleared for combat."

"What did they tell you?"

"They told me that a group of hunters had killed my parents for being scorpion faunus. They gave a chance at vengeance, as long as I agreed to this. They only recently told me about you."

"How many others?"

"Three. A Nevermore, the name is Orni Sonic. An Ursa Major, Ouru Spikes. Finally, a Beowolf named Lupa Claws. All of them have similar back stories as myself."

"Scorpio, please listen to what I'm about to tell you. You four aren't the first, and neither am I. They brought in two others besides myself by attracting faunus that are afraid for their children. They told my parents they could get rid of the faunus in me, and my parents agreed not wanting to see their kids go through the struggles that they did. When my parents found out, they tried to rise against them. The White Fang, the people responsible for this, killed them, as I'm sure they did with your parents."

"Why should I believe you?" Scorpio challenged. "What should make me believe you over them?"

"Because I didn't make you a monster. Think of it Scorpio, how much of your physical abilities were greatly enhanced, and on top of that, what did they teach you to do."

"All of them, and to fight."

"We're their heavy artillery. They feed you lies to get you to become a monster. I am a monster, they succeeded with me. However, I know better. They made the mistake of killing my parents in front of me." Scorpio seemed to hesitate at this. "Scorpio, I can't promise that some of the people here aren't dicks, and that they won't discriminate against you. But I can promise you a chance at revenge for your parents. Ozpin, is any team down a man."

"No," Ozpin said. "We don't have anyone down a member, and it's to far away from the next initiation. We have made exceptions in the past, and we can get you in."

"Good. Scorpio, I suggest you pick a new name and join the school. Trust me, I'm one of you. I don't expect you to trust anyone here, I didn't at first." Scorpio was dead silent for a very long time.

"What if they come after me?" He asked. "What if I learn to care for someone here and they take them away from me too?"

"That won't happen. You see these seven behind me? There's even another team, and I care for them. The difference between my parents and these people, they are all excellent fighters. Please, Scorpio, I want to help you." Scorpio was quiet for a while.

"I'll take the name of Stephen," Scorpio finally said. "I'll help you as far as learning what happened to my parents, then no promises."

"Welcome to Beacon Stephen," Ozpin said. He extended his hand, and Stephen hesitated.

"Ozpin," Derek said calmly. "Switch your hand please." Stephen recognized what he was doing.

"No, he can know," Stephen replied. He lifted up his hand, and showed off a decently large claw. "I just think he'd rather shake my other hand." Ozpin quickly switched his hand, and shook Stephen's.

"From what you told me," Ozpin started. "You are more then prepared. You can be the fifth member of DRGN. They're most suited to welcome in a Child of Grimm." Stephen nodded, and looked at Derek.

"I guess I'll stick with you," he said. Derek nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. _Three more Children of Grimm. They got to work fast. However, I need to accommodate Scorpio. __  
_

_Elsewhere_

"Sir, they convinced Scorpio. He learned the truth."

"How did they capture him?"

"The girl. The one that we see with him so often, her spear is electric and he was distracted."

"I wasn't expecting that. I thought he would kill Scorpio. No matter, ready the next Grimm. The girl won't be able to interfere. Set a high priority target for her. I want to get rid of her as quickly as possible."

"Understood sir. I'll inform Orni of her task."

"Good. Let's see if we can't convince him."

"Sir, Roman Torchwick is here."

"Tell him to come up. We have much business to discuss."

**End: So I wanted to fit all of this into one chapter, and not split it up. Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. Before it gets asked though, Derek didn't meet with Arthur because Scorpio became a priority.**


	13. Chapter 13

Child of Grimm Ch. 13

Derek was once again in an open field. _What is the significance of this place? _He saw the same man from the other night in front of him.

"So you have taken Scorpio," he said. "I wish I could say I planned this, but it would be false. I'm much to proud of you to lie to you Drake."

"Why am I here?" Drake asked.

"For I have a question. What did he tell you?"

"He told me about Lupa, Orni, and Ouru. We're going to treat him well here, and we'll get the others here too."

"I fully anticipate you trying to do so. Sadly, I'm going to have to get them to kill you and bring back your corpse. I need to know how to make another Taituo."

"Another? Are you implying that you tried for another Taituo?"

"Of course Drake. You were the best thing. Do you think that a Nevermore, or a Death Stalker holds the same level of fear that a Taituo does?" Derek took a step back and looked at the man in front of him. "Yes Drake, some causalities were necessary along the way of a greater level of faunus."

"You're crazy."

"No, I'm a revolutionary. The things that we receive for being a faunus. What would happen if we were suddenly too powerful to ignore? People fear Grimm and they disrespect us, so let's find a compromise. I'm afraid that our time is up. You will meet one of us soon, Drake."

He woke up, and looked around. He knew that today he only had one class, and that was Grimm studies. He also was aware that Stephen had been placed on an identical schedule. He saw that Stephen was up, and he looked down at him.

"Stephen," Derek said. Stephen looked up at him.

"Oh," Stephen replied. "I didn't think that anyone would be up."

"I'm subjected to an identical sleep pattern as you."

"Right. So when will the others be up?"

"It'll be a while. I use this as my only time away from them."

"I thought you said they were your friends?"

"They are, but being forced to live with people often changes your point of view on how long you want to know them."

"What do you normally do during this period of time?"

"I take a flight. None of the other students are up. I figured I'd skip it today and help you figure out what to do."

"I'll probably take a run. There's other things that I kept hidden from the others." Stephen moved aside his gray shirt, and shifted around his armor. Many small legs came out of his side. "I can climb up buildings. I didn't want anyone to know."

"They won't care. Trust me on that one Stephen." Stephen nodded, and climbed out the window. He put his free hand on the wall, and set down his small legs. _The things we can do would baffle the mind of any average person. _Derek stepped out of the window, and flew off. He occasionally circled around to see what Stephen was doing. _His climbing ability is impeccable. _He finally circled around and signaled for Stephen to head back into the dorm. They both entered in and closed the window.

"Hey D," Nathan said. "Hey Stephen. Today's the big day for you buddy."

"What do you mean?" Stephen asked.

"He means it's your first day here," Derek added in. "That means you'll have to go to classes. Luckily, Grimm studies is your only class today. That should be easy for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means that both you and I have received the brains of Grimm. I sleep through that class nine times out of ten."

"Wish me luck D," Nathan said. "I have to wake up the girls."

"Monica took on an extra class?"

"Nope. She's being required to take today's class because of a credit that she needs. Otherwise, same schedule as you. That'll give you two some quality alone time. Try not to kiss."

"Thank you Nathan," Derek said dryly. "Do your best to ignore his jokes. I've gotten quite good at it."

"Oh come on D."

"Don't you have to wake the girls up?"

"Gwen! Monica! Get up! Time for class." Monica and Gwen slowly got up, and got ready for class. Something seemed to concern Stephen.

"Uniforms?" He asked.

"Yes," Derek replied. "Uniforms are standard here. You can try yours on. I'm sure it's been modified to suit your needs."

"We're heading out," Monica said. "Derek, take care to get him around."

"I will Monica. Don't worry." As soon as she closed the door, Derek looked out the window. "Good news Stephen. Most people will be in class and that means a quite dinning hall."

"It's open?" Stephen asked.

"It's always open. The only concern is about whether or not food will be warm. Don't worry about that though, I'll cover you." Stephen smiled, and trailed behind Derek.

_Dinning Hall_

Derek had sat Stephen down at the back of the dinning hall. They both had a plate of pancakes, and Stephen seemed a little cautious about eating it.

"Don't worry about the people here," Derek told him. "Those that would try and hurt you, are too afraid of me to try and get past me. How lethal is your venom?"

"Depends on which venom I use," Stephen replied. "Why?"

"A good cold from your spit might encourage them to back off. I suggest that you paralyze them with a sting of your tail if they try anything."

"What did you do to get them off your back?"

"I blew a heart of fire, knocked three of them out, and flew their leader several hundred miles off of the ground and dropped him." Stephen's eyes were all widened in surprise. "Don't worry I caught him. I can't say he wasn't terrified. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Go ahead."

"First, is it okay if I call you Scorpio? I knew another Child of Grimm like yourself, and they were called Scorpio as well."

"It's fine. I'll just call you Drake."

"The next question, how do you see out of those eyes?"

"Same way you see out of your eyes. I have eight images, that my brain translates into one."

"Last question, only one claw?" Stephen raised up his hands, one of them being a claw.

"I just turned out that way."

"Hey you two," a cheerful voice said. They both looked over to see Yang and Blake walking to their table.

"It's the blonde and her cat friend," Derek said.

"Can it Derek," Yang replied. "We're here to get to know, uh, what's your name again."

"Stephen," he replied calmly. Yang raised up her hand. "I suggest you switch hands." Yang quickly switched out, and Stephen shook her hand. "Did you say cat friend."

"Blake," Derek said. "Could you please remove your bow." Blake nodded, and pulled it off your head.

"Sensitive about your ears?"

"Sensitive about my past," Blake replied.

"She was a White Fang while they were still a mostly peaceful organization," Derek explained. "She bailed out not to long ago. She's best suited to care for you. I'm going off to get something. I suggest you two get to know each other." Stephen nodded, and Derek left the room. _The more time away from her the better. _

"Wait up," someone called out behind him. He turned to see Yang running up behind him. _Good to know that my luck is just as bad as before. _"Derek I want to talk to you."_  
_

"I'm busy," Derek replied.

"Why are you ignoring me? I know you're doing it on purpose."

"I can promise you Yang, if it seems like I'm ignoring you then you are 100% accurate in that statement."

"Why?"

"Simple. I don't like you that much, I never have, and I doubt I will. People that are energetic annoy me. I hated when Monica dragged you over to me, and that hasn't changed."

"So why do you stay with Nora?"

"I don't. Name one time that I have not been forced to be with Nora, but I was."

"Um, where there was-I mean you did-God damnit."

"Exactly. So goodbye for now Yang."

"Wait!" Yang put her hand on his shoulder. "What do I have to do to change your mind?"

"You don't."

"I can be less energetic."

"I seriously doubt that."

"I've been that way this whole time."

"How is it that your sister is so shy, and you are so bouncy."

"Just the way we turned out." Derek began to walk back to Stephen. _Why do I feel like she's just going to stalk me until I like her. I doubt she's had to face much rejection in her life, even with friends. I just enjoy torturing myself. A habit of the Grimm I guess._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	14. Chapter 14

Child of Grimm Ch.14

"It's your first big class as a member of the team," Nathan said, nudging Stephen slightly.

"Nathan," Derek replied. "Scorpio is not a member of the team."

"He's right," Stephen added in. "I don't know what I'm going to do beyond avenging my parents deaths. That's what kept me going for years. It's not even official."

"I don't know," Gwen added in. "I like the sound of DRGNS." Derek sighed, and stood up. He quickly threw on his uniform and readied his sword.

"I almost didn't warn you," Derek said. "The teacher we're going to see-."

"Professor Port?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah. He's a little... Obsessed. He'll probably ask for a view of your abilities. Which means, displaying your full form."

"I'm fine with that. Probably the safest view of a Death Stalker you will ever get." Derek nodded, and the five of them left for Grimm studies.

_Grimm Studies_

"Aha," Port yelled out. "So we have a new student today, and he's a Child of Grimm. Tell me Scorpio, would you mind showing off your form?"

"It's fine," Scorpio replied. He quickly went up to the front of the class, and threw off his uniform. He was wearing some minimal armor that covered up only part of him. He raised up his claw, and flexed around his stinger. He then allowed his armor to be pushed to the side, and showed off his smaller legs.

"Tell me dear boy," Port said. "What are those used for?"

"Grip. I can climb up walls and things of that sort." Port dragged a cage over, and looked at Stephen.

"Time to showcase your talents." Stephen drew his sword at the sounds coming from the cage. He quickly squatted down, and got ready. Port raised up his weapon, and cut the lock. A Beowolf leapt out of the cage, and Stephen quickly rolled out of the way. As soon as he got up, he spit out a fair amount of venom. The Beowolf jumped back a little, and then rushed him again. Stephen got down on his legs, and went underneath the strike. He then quickly swung around his singer, and caught the Beowolf in the leg. The Beowolf's leg completely buckled underneath it, and Stephen swung around his sword, cutting off it's head. "What a marvelous display," Port boomed. "I'm disappointed by the lack of your claw, and your armor, but none the less this was a marvelous display. You may take your seat." Stephen nodded, and walked over to Derek.

"You did good Scorpio," Derek muttered to him.

"Thanks Drake," he replied. "That was easy. Human mind combined with Grimm strength and speed, plus the natural faunus assets makes us a triple threat." _That was the idea behind our creation._

_Elsewhere_

"Sir, Orni is needed elsewhere in the field. I don't think that our trump card would of have been a good idea to start with. I advised against Scorpio too, and you completely disregarded that. Look where we are now."

"Are you forgetting who works for who?"

"No sir. At the same time though, I need to give you my honest opinion as your adviser. Do not forget who came up with operation CoG."

"You're right, in several ways. We'll save Orni for later. Send Lupa in. She seems eager to do something, and Ouru hasn't been cleared for combat."

"Right away sir."

_That Night_

Derek couldn't sleep. It had been a good day for Scorpio and himself, but something still bothered him. _Three more. If I can convince all of them, we could have a new team. But now I know that he no longer has intentions of bringing me in alive. That means that he could care less about those around me. Bah, I'll go out on a walk around the forest. The Grimm know not to bother me. _He suited up, and walked out of the window, quickly checking to make sure that everyone in the room was still sound asleep. He knew that only Scorpio had potential to wake up, so he went out into the forest.

_Emerald Forest_

Derek was walking along the woods, taking in the scenery. He heard the sounds of some Grimm, but those quickly disappeared. _They must know it's me. _He heard a growl, and he waited for it go away. When it didn't he turned his head in the direction of the growl, and he saw something that troubled him. He quickly realized what it was, and he drew his sword.

"Come on out Lupa," he said. "I know that it's you." Finally, someone stepped out of the clearing. They were fairly large, and they walked on all fours. They had decently large hands, and feet, and their entire body was covered in gray fur. They had red eyes, and a razor sharp set of teeth, which they displayed prominently. "You are much larger then I thought."

"After Scorpio left," Lupa said. "They hit us again, and this time to raise up our attributes. Similar to the one thing that we have never used."

"Why be so cryptic Lupa? It's not as though I don't already know."

"I don't know how much of a traitor you are."

"Listen to me Lupa, hunters didn't kill your parents. Think this through. What are the odds that so many children have their parents killed by people who took an oath to protect this world, and then he found you? Don't be so blind."

"I'm not listening to you." Lupa pounced at Derek, and he quickly spun out of the way. He extended his wings, and flew up in the air. Lupa pounced again, but Derek just moved out of the way again. He blew a column of flames, and Lupa jumped back. She snarled at him, and jumped up at him. Derek was surprised, and she managed to knock him down to the ground. She placed a paw-like-hand on his chest, and brought her face next to his. "Let's see how long it takes to break through your scales, and how painful it is for you." Derek positioned his tail, but he never got a chance. He heard a wild yell, and Lupa's weight was lifted from his body. He leaned up to see Yang swinging her fists wildly at Lupa. _How did she get here? _Lupa quickly knocked her away, and went to kill her. Derek quickly got up, and hit her across the face. He then swung her around, and headbutted her, knocking her out cold. He then walked over to Yang, and knelt down.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"A couple of cuts," Yang replied. "She hits hard, but not that bad."

"Why were you here?"

"I saw you up and I went to talk to you. I got here just in time I guess. What do you want to do with her?"

"Try and bring her back. We can lock her up, and myself and Scorpio can talk to her. See if it isn't possible to get her to join up." Yang nodded, and Derek quickly picked Lupa up. "I'm going to fly her back. Speed this up. And Yang, thank you for that."

"Anything for a friend," she said tauntingly. Derek smiled, and nodded quickly. _She knows me well enough to know that means I agree. _He flew off, and brought Lupa to Ozpin. He agreed to keep her locked up, and that he would bring her up for an interview in the morning. Derek flew back to his dorm, after checking on Yang, and hopped into his bed. He bent down to a bag, and quickly searched through it. He found what he needed, and lifted it up. In his hands, was a gray bone mask with two holes left for the eyes. _Twice. They gave her two doses of it? That means that the others will receive similar treatment. Me and Scorpio are going to have to figure out a way to get that, but for now. This is what a substitute will be. _He put it on his face, and closed his eyes. His body began to bulk up, and long claws grew out of him. He felt some change in his mouth as his teeth became razor sharp. He opened up his eyes, and they were glowing red.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. **


	15. Chapter 15

Child of Grimm Ch. 15

"Scorpio," a quiet voice said to him. "Scorpio you must wake up." Scorpio finally turned, and saw a blurry shape standing above him. "Scorpio, we have a problem."

"Drake," Scorpio mustered. It took him longer to get his vision since he had to refocus on eight images instead of one. "Is that you?"

"It is. Listen, Lupa attacked me last night. Yang assisted, and now she's in a room where we can talk to her. There's only one problem, they gave her a second dose of the gas."

"What? That means she's stronger."

"I can keep up with her strength, but that might not last. We'll need a permanent solution, but I had to use the temporary one." Scorpio finally opened up his eyes fully, and he saw what he had hoped not to see. Drake was wearing the mask. A mask that resembled a Grimm mask had been made for them. As long as one wore it, it gave them a lot more abilities. Wear it for too long, and it was rumored to have you lose your human attributes.

"I know the warning signs," Drake reassured him. "If I feel any of them, it goes off. I imagine you know it too."

"You want me to wear my mask?"

"If we want to talk to Lupa, we have no choice." Scorpio nodded, and grabbed his mask. His body mass greatly increased, and he grew a pair of fangs. "I thought you were a Death Stalker?"

"I am. I lied about my faunus origins though. They couldn't find one strong enough to survive, and so they took the next best thing."

"A spider faunus. That lends to your eyes."

"And my venom. This mask enhances those aspects more so then my others. When is the interview going to be conducted?"

"Now."

"Should we wake the others." Drake shook his head.

"No. This is something that we're best suited to do alone."

_Interview Room_

Lupa was strapped to a chair. Her arms, legs, tail, and chest were all bound to the chair with metal wire. Ozpin was standing by a window, and Derek and Stephen were waiting to go in.

"Whenever you two are ready," Ozpin said. They nodded, and walked into the room. Lupa looked up for a moment, and then a while longer at seeing their masks.

"Hello Lupa," Stephen said.

"Scorpio," Lupa replied. "Drake. What do you want?"

"We want to tell you the truth. The hunters aren't responsible for our parents deaths, the White Fang are. Drake told me the truth, and I believe him. It makes more sense then hunters doing it."

"Humans despise faunus. Why does the White Fang make more sense."

"You're thinking short term," Derek intervened. "Think of the long game. A drunken hunter kills your parents, and gets nothing other then a potential death sentence. The White Fang kills your parents, lies to you about who did it, and they get a killing machine. They told my parents that I would be lifted of my faunus burden, not telling them the result of it. They rebelled once they learned, and then they were killed. I guess they decided to skip a step. Think of what the White Fang are now Lupa, please." Lupa went silent for a long time. Derek felt a small migraine, and he quickly took off his mask. _This is far from long term. _His body shrunk down and his claws retracted as his eyes returned to their normal amber color.

"Migraine?" Lupa asked him. Derek nodded quickly. "That's why they gave me a second dose. I have another surprise though, but first I want your honest answer, both of you." They nodded quickly. "The people here, what are they like?"

"Most of them are nice from my experience," Stephen said.

"That is true," Derek replied. "But like with anywhere, good apples are added in with the bad ones. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a creative way to deal with them. I certainly did."

"I'll stay," Lupa said. "And my surprise, I have some things for you." She looked over at a bag that they had found in the bushes she was in. They opened it up, and inspected two canisters. "A special knockout gas, but I heard the scientists saying that it was one item of Grimm away from becoming the gas that made us. You can scan it if you want, but a Taituo and Death Stalker sample and you boys are on your way to a second dose." Glynda Goodwitch walked in the room and grabbed the canisters. "Who's that?"

"Glynda Goodwitch," Derek replied. "A teacher and dust specialist. She's also a researcher, which is what I imagine she's doing know."

"She's telling the truth," Goodwitch finally said.

"You knew how to make one of these the whole time?"

"Of course. It was easy to get a sample of your DNA, and then figure out the differences." _What else has Ozpin kept secret from me? _Goodwitch left with the canisters, and Derek went to work unstrapping Lupa.

"I'm going to kill him," Lupa whispered silently in his ear.

"Get in line," Derek whispered back. As soon as Lupa was unstrapped, Derek turned to Stephen. "Get her a new name and explain to her what to expect. I'll get the rest of DRGN. I don't believe Ozpin will put you with any other team, and if we get Ouru or Orni I think Ozpin will be willing to get you a separate dorm." _And I need to have a talk with my dear guardian Ozpin. _He went to the dorm of DRGN, and woke them all up. They quickly got up, and got ready to meet Lupa. He went back to the interview room, and let them in. Lupa looked up at them, and quickly turned to face Derek.

"Drake," she said. "Where is the blonde? The one that ambushed me."

"She's a member of team RWBY," Derek replied. "Her name is Yang."

"Scorpio is only a roommate of yours, not a teammate?"

"You are correct."

"I'd feel more comfortable with RWBY." Derek sighed, and gestured to Monica. She just looked at him confused.

"Moni, can you please inform the rest of RWBY that we have a visitor?"

"Why me?" She asked.

"Just do it." Monica nodded and ran off to get Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. Derek stood up, and left to go to the room watching over the interview room. He opened up the door, and nodded to Yang. "You're up blonde." Yang nodded and left to talk to Lupa.

"Hello there," they could hear Yang say. "I know that you were Lupa, but who are you now?"

"Lou," she said.

"Why did you want to go with me?"

"It takes balls to charge a Child of Grimm. Especially since you know what to expect. That shows loyalty, and courage. I figure your team has to be pretty good people."

"She has a way with people," Ozpin said quietly.

"A way with people that don't have a reclusive personality," Derek said. "I want to talk with you Ozpin."

"About what?"

"Many things. You took care of me after I got to you. I told you what might come, and you still took me in. I want to know why."

"I didn't see much of a choice. I saw what you were, I saw your potential, and you were just a few years old. I still wonder how you survived."

"I still don't know. At age seven, a lot of people took pity on me and tried to help. But I never did get to know you, and that leads to some natural distrust."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean. The gas components, why didn't you tell me that you knew?"

"Because I've never had a reason too. Now that I do, we'll try and get something made. I saw you with the mask, and Scorpio too. We'll get to work just in case you need more, but I'm not sure how much more you can take past this."

"The risk is worth the reward in this case. As soon as this threat has passed, I won't push myself. What else have you kept from me?"

"Nothing. But I think there's something that you forgot to do at Serpent Ville."

"What was that?"

"You wanted to visit their graves, didn't you." _How?_

"It was Arthur wasn't it. He told you about my plans to visit him."

"He did. I think you should go. I know that you want to get to know everyone better, and I want to get to spend some more time with you. But you have to get closure. I know you didn't ever get a chance too, and now that RWBY has taken over Lupa duty you can visit them tonight. I'll say you're running an important errand. Which wouldn't be completely false given that any Taituo or Death Stalker's that you run into we'll need. We can draw them out here, but I need a justification for you to leave."

"Thank you Ozpin. I'll be leaving now. No sense in waiting on it." Derek walked out into the hall, and walked towards the nearest window.

"Where are you going Derek?" Came a voice from behind him. _How is it possible that she always finds me? _Derek turned and faced Monica.

"On an errand," he said. "We need some Taituo DNA and Death Stalker DNA. Ozpin requested that I go get it, unless it becomes morning."

"Ozpin wouldn't just send you off now. Where are you really going?" _I really wonder how she does this._

"It's something I would rather do alone."

"Are you visiting the graves of your parents?"

"Who told you?"

"No one. But I think if you were to go alone, it might be hard. Let me go with you, as your girlfriend." Derek sighed, and held out his arm.

_Serpent Ville: __Cemetery_

"Thank you Arthur," Derek said quietly. "We'll stay here." Arthur nodded, and returned to his home. Derek walked among the graves, until he saw a pair of them, with the date marked 14 years in the past. Monica took a step back, while Derek bent down to them.

"Hi Mom," he said. "Hi Dad. I'm sorry I didn't visit you 10 years ago, but I didn't want anyone here to get hurt. So many others had. I met Ozpin, and he sheltered me from them. He kept me hidden. I got a lot of training, and I just became more confident that I could set things right. Signal was awful, as I'm sure you know. But I did get to Beacon, and things looked up. I met a lot of people there. Team JNPR. It took a while to warm up to Jaune, I still haven't warmed up to Nora, I respect Ren, and Pyrrha is nice. Then there's team RWBY. Ruby has a good heart, Weiss is complicated, Blake I'd trust with my life, and Yang is reliable. Then there's my team, DRGN. Funny isn't it? I end up leading a team called dragon. There's Nathan, despite his cockiness and care free attitude he is a good fighter and a loyal friend. I guess that's the wolf in him. There's Gwen, who is very secretive but she's also a good friend and an intelligent person. Then, there's Monica. The only one that has stuck with me despite the crap I put her through. I'm sorry that you guys can't meet her, but knowing you, you'd like her." Derek found himself unable to go on, and he just put his head in his hands. _Out of all of the things that carried over from humanity, and it's the ability to produce tears. _Derek felt Monica's hand on his shoulder.

"They'd be proud Derek," she whispered. "I know it." He stood up, and let his sobs slow down.

"We have to get back. We need to allow Lou to become better, and I want to let the others know about this."

"About this?"

"No." Derek leaned in close to Monica. "About us." _With the other Children of Grimm, there's no harm in saying this. I can finally be more open._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	16. Chapter 16

Child of Grimm Ch. 16

It was the next morning. Derek was awake, and alert. He knew that he had failed Ozpin in getting a Grimm sample, but Ozpin did get a Death Stalker and Taituo sample shortly after Derek returned. He looked over, and saw that Stephen was also awake. _We're both pondering the same thing, no doubt. _He looked over, and they had a silent conversation. Nathan was the next to wake up, then Monica, and finally Gwen. As soon as they were all awake, they heard a sharp knock on the door.

"Come in," Monica said groggily. The door opened, and Lou walked into the room.

"Hello DRGN," she said. "And Scorpio. I just want to inform you two that Ozpin and Glynda have requested you two. I believe you know why. I'll be attending the process as well, running interference. You can all join."

"Thank you Lupa," Derek replied. The silent pact that the Children of Grimm had was that they would continue to use their actual names. "We'll be out as soon as we're all ready." Lupa closed to door, and Derek shifted his eyes to Monica. She was, as usual, the last one to get ready. Monica saw his look, and looked around at the others.

"All I need is to get my jacket," she promised.

"I'll believe it when I see it Moni," Nathan said.

"Shut up wolfy." Monica threw on her jacket, and strapped on her spear. "Okay, all set to go." The group walked out the door, and left to where Ozpin had told them to go. They looked around the room, and saw a large tube, with Ozpin, Glynda, RWBY, and Lupa nearby.

"Good," Ozpin said. "We're all here. Let's begin, shall we? Who wants to go first?" Derek pushed Stephen forward with his tail. "Good. Let's get started." Stephen shot Derek a dark look, and Derek just kept his expression plain. He looked at the tube, and cautiously stepped in. The door closed, and Stephen stretched around his tail to make it fit. The tube was a fair amount larger then Scorpio, but Lou had told them to expect a decent size increase. _Glad it's Scorpio in there to start with. _Glynda flipped a switch, and the tube began to fill with gas. As soon as the gas disappeared, the tube opened up. Scorpio stepped out, looking a fair amount larger then before. He now had a large pair of fangs to go along with the rest of his physique. "Derek, your turn." Derek took a deep breath, and stepped into the tube. _The nightmares have told me about this. I know what to expect. _The tube closed, and the memories began to flood him. _We can lift your child of his faunus markings. Just agree to it, and we'll help you. You never said anything about him being a Grimm! I never said what he would become. _The gas hit him, and he closed his eyes. He could feel his body growing larger, and his muscles expanding. He felt the claws grow out of his hands, and his teeth becoming razor sharp. The tube opened, and everyone let out a gasp of surprise.

"What?" Derek asked.

"You need to see this," Nathan said. They flipped around a mirror, and Derek gasped at what he saw. His size had increased dramatically, and he now was larger then Lou and Stephen. Ozpin had to look up at him.

"Safe to say that the Taituo aspect of you made your size change more dramatic," Ozpin summed up. "I think that maybe you should get some rest. Allow your bodies to figure out the changes they just under went." Derek and Stephen nodded. They both left to return to team DRGN's dorm. Monica watched him leave, a small amount of admiration in her eyes.

"What's up Moni?" Gwen asked.

"I'm just amazed that he bulked up that much," Monica replied.

"I think he looks kind of hot," Yang contributed. Everyone just took a long look at her. "What? The scales have grown on me."

"Keep your looks elsewhere Yang," Monica replied. "He's taken." Gwen looked at her in slight surprise. She knew that Monica recognized that Yang was being more playful then anything, and that this was just her taking an opening.

"Taken?" Yang asked. "By who?"

"Get a clue blondie," Nathan said. "Monica and D have dating for some time now, and they thought they were keeping it secret."

"They were?" Asked a surprise Ruby.

"So it appears that only RWBY was unaware of it," Gwen added. "I'm surprised you knew Nathan. When did you notice?"

"When Monica confessed to you and I was standing roughly four feet away. I may not have D's super hearing, but I'm not deaf."

"Derek will be disappointed that he wasn't here to break the news," Monica said sadly.

"Knowing him," Gwen started up. "He'll be glad that you did it without him."

"Fair enough," Monica laughed.

_Elsewhere_

He observed his surroundings, and saw that he was once again in an open field. _If he's here, I'm going to ask him about this._

"Well then Drake," the man said. "You've recruited Lupa and Scorpio. I must admit, I did not anticipate Lupa leaving us, otherwise I wouldn't of have trusted her with the gas."

"Give it up," Drake said. "We've got you beat. You've only got two people left."

"Yes, Ouru and Orni are chomping at the bits to meet you. Sadly, I can only send in one at a time."

"Tell me something, what were you hoping to accomplish with a Beowolf? Even without Yang's interference I could of have gotten her."

"I figured that Lupa's new strength would be the best way to test how well the second dose worked, but I didn't think she would ever give up the gas. I'll have to test the others for a third dose."

"I can promise you that won't matter."

"Yes, your strength is impressive."

"Why here? Why this field?"

"It was easy to generate, nothing more."

"Last thing, why have you been so honest?"

"I've already told you, Drake. I'm much to proud of you to lie to you. Well, the rude awakening is interrupting out session. I will see you again."

Derek woke up to the sounds of laughter. He saw his team, Stephen and Lupa, RWBY, and JNPR all laughing about something.

"What's so funny?" He asked menacingly.

"Oh," Nathan said. "Hey D. We were just taking bets on how long your clothes would last."

"How mature."

"Oh and Moni told us all about your relationship while you were out. Hope I didn't just encourage you to kill her."

"You're fine Moni. Though, I must ask, what was the highest bet?"

"That would be me," Pyrrha said. "I figured that since clothing included your scale armor, forever. That's already created to adjust to your size."

"Pay up for Pyrrha," Derek said. They all groaned, and handed over some Lien to Pyrrha, who was smiling widely. All except for Monica. "Nothing for you Moni?"

"I didn't join in on the bet," Monica said. "I figured that you wouldn't approve of such matters."

"And she finally learns." He quickly pulled Monica in to his chest. _That was considerably easier with my new bulk. _He bent down, and gave her a kiss. Everyone just let out a collective, 'awwwww.' "Please note that I can still kill every single one of you." They all went silent for a moment, but then resumed their 'awwws.' _This must be what it's like to have a group of friends._

_Elsewhere_

"Sir, that session was rather unsuccessful."

"That depends on who's evaluating. I think that soon we will get through to him."

"I don't agree with your assessment."

"Then evaluate them."

"I already have, sir."

"And?"

"No one passed. There's only strain that would allow one to take three doses of the gas. And that's-."

"That's Taituo, I know. Send him in. Ouru's strength will be enough to take him down."

"Already on it sir."

"Also, see what you can do in way of getting rid of that girl, Monica."

"I think I have a few ideas."

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	17. Chapter 17

Child of Grimm Ch. 17

"Try not to attack so low Ms. Rose," Goodwitch called out. "You seem to forget that Mr. Flame has the ability to fly." Ruby was standing across from Derek with her scythe raised, while Derek was just off the ground with his sword out. Ruby was the last member of RWBY that had to face him still, and JNPR had already all lost to him. Stephen and Lou had already faced off against him that day, and they both suffered defeat.

"He's too big," Yang said to the rest of her team and Lou. "She can't hope to keep up with his strength, even if she can catch up with his speed." Ruby fired off another shot and took a huge swing at Derek. He easily danced out of the way, and Ruby fired off a course correction shot, and tried to swing her scythe into him. He raised up his sword to block the attack, and quickly swept out Ruby's legs with his tail. She fell over, but jumped up quickly. Before she was fully upright, Derek swung his fist into her stomach and then her head. Ruby fell over, and struggled to stand up. She heard the buzzer, and looked over to see that her aura was in the red.

"And Mr. Flame remains unbeaten," Goodwitch said. "I must admit, I never anticipated that we would multiple unbeatens at this point in the year. I say that for our last match, we make things interesting. Ms. Rogue, will you please take the arena?" Monica nodded, and flipped around her spear. _So they want the only two unbeatean fighters to square off. And to make it more interesting, it's only me and Monica. Of course, she hasn't faced anyone like me yet. _The two of them stood across from each other, and raised their weapons. "Begin." Monica fired off a bolt of lightning, and Derek ducked out of the way. She rushed him, and he swung his wing into her. She quickly rolled back up, and saw that he was still flying there. _Sorry Moni, but I'm not losing my perfection. _She raised her hand, and some lightning started to form around him. He flew away from that spot, and the lightning followed him. A bolt almost caught him in the back, but he succeeded in dodging that. He quickly closed the gap with Monica, and swung around his sword. She twirled out of the way, and swung her spear into his back. He felt a small shock, but then he quickly identified where her spear was. He wrapped his tail around it, and ripped it from her grasp. She was pulled in closer to him, and he quickly slammed his head into hers. She stumbled back, and Derek hit her in the stomach. A loud buzzer was heard, and Monica could only just see that she had lost. Derek offered her a hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Not even the other unbeaten could defeat Mr. Flame. You'll have tomorrow off of Sparing as a reward." He nodded, and Goodwitch went about dismissing her class. He was followed by the rest of his team.

"And Big D remains a champ," Nathan said enthusiastically.

"I let him win," Monica grumbled.

"Remember when I told you that the Taituo was just adjusting to the electricity?" Derek asked her. She quickly nodded. "That was me adjusting to it. The electricity is one of the few things that can get past my scales."

"My wind certainly didn't," Gwen said.

"Nor did my ice," Nathan contributed.

"My venom already wasn't a factor," Stephen contributed. "Where to next?"

"Lunch," Derek said. "We'll regroup with Lupa, RWBY, and JNPR." They all nodded, and walked towards the dinning hall.

"I've been meaning to ask you Drake," Stephen started up. "What exactly is the deal with you? You seem like you're a lot stronger then the rest of us, even the other Children of Grimm. How?"

"The goal of the project was to create the strongest Child of Grimm possible, so they started big. They found three people who looked to be strong enough to withstand it, and they wanted to try the three largest Grimm they could. A Death Stalker, a Nevermore, and a Taituo. The first Scorpio died just one day after the gas, and the first Orni died shortly there after. They focused on me, which they seemed fine with. I imagine that they've tried other people to get a Taituo."

"You would be correct," Stephen said. "I overheard them talk a lot about a new Drake, but that talk always ceased the next day." _Do I tell them about my dreams? No, I'll leave that to myself. _They arrived at the dinning hall, and saw that Yang was waving her arms around at them._  
_

"I guess they're over there," Monica said. They all grabbed a pre-prepared plate of food, and walked over to where the others were sitting.

"Hey guys," Yang said.

"Thanks for the subtle signal," Nathan said as he took his seat.

"Yang does nothing but subtle," Blake said, never looking up from her book. Derek just started eating his food, not bothering to join in on the conversation. Despite how much he had grown to like the others, that didn't change the fact that he didn't really enjoy talking with others.

"So Derek beat me," Ruby grumbled. "How did you do it?"

"Despite your more erratic patterns," Derek began. "You're fighting style is very easy to identify. Fast, powerful, but not a whole lot of other things to go along with it. Don't misunderstand me, you're an excellent fighter. However, against an opponent like me it seems like it would be pointless to try and overpower me."

"Oh," Ruby said, deflated. "That makes sense."

"You were hoping for some complicated answer, weren't you?"

"Yeah kind of." Yang pat her on the back, and let out a laugh.

"Your fine Ruby," she said. Derek just resumed eating, hoping not to be interrupted again.

"Not to mention that both myself and Scorpio lost their first match," Lou added in. "Both of those were against Drake."

"And I lost for the first time," Monica added. "To my boyfriend. You have no idea how embarrassing that is." _Just going to continue to eat, until someone poses a question. _

"Has everyone at this table lost to Derek?" Weiss asked. Everyone nodded. "You should teach us to fight better." Derek swallowed his food, and looked up.

"No can do Weiss," he replied. "My fighting style is extremely specialized, as I'm sure both Lupa and Scorpio's is. Unless you 13 can fly, breathe fire, and have scales then I'm afraid I can be of no assistance." He resumed eating. _How long will this last?_

"But that doesn't change your technique," Pyrrha said. "You could show us all how your technique is, or help us condition, or-."

"My conditioning and technique all revolve around my Grimm aspects. I'm sorry, but I can't see of a way that I can help you."

"But still," Ruby began.

"Lupa, Scorpio, please assist me in this matter."

"Fine," Lou finally said. "He's right. If he were to help you, it'd be relatively useless. Same if myself or Scorpio were to help you." _Time to continue eating, and just hope that nothing else happens._

"What if we were to take on the Grimm stuff?" Ruby asked. Derek now completely stopped eating, as did Stephen and Lou.

"I sincerely hope that is nothing more then a passing thought that you chose to express outloud," Derek said.

"It is. But, your just so strong, and-."

"And that is the end of this conversation." Derek continued to eat, now visibly angry.

"What does it entail?" Ruby pursued. "Being a Child of Grimm." Lou hit her in the arm, trying to get her to stop.

"What it entails, since you're so curious, is first being a faunus. I believe you are already behind on that one Ruby."

"What else?" Derek's hands curled up into fists.

"It entails a very careful selection process, that even then, isn't a guarantee that you'll survive. I sincerely doubt that you'd survive." He tried to finish what was left of his food.

"Why is that?" Derek now slammed his fist on the the table.

"Because, you are nothing more then a girl meddling in an adult manner right now, Ms. Rose, so I suggest that you drop this, before I really lose control of my temper." Ruby went dead silent at that. Derek had kept a good lid on his temper, but Ruby had pushed him too far. _These are questions that you would of have been better off not asking. _Derek quickly finished the rest of his food, and left the table.

"I should probably go talk to him," Monica said. The others nodded as Monica left to go talk to Derek.

"For what it's worth," Lou began. "I don't blame him for that. We're a little sensitive, and if he didn't go after you, I would of have."

"Or I would of have," Stephen added. Ruby just fumbled around with her food.

"I've gotten to know you a little bit more," Lou started up again. "And I know you're naturally curious, but some boundaries have to be established."

_Monica and Derek_

"Derek slow down!" She yelled out after him. Derek paused, and looked back. "Glad I caught you," Monica wheezed. "I hate it when you walk that fast."

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I know why you blew up at Ruby, and I can't say I don't blame you. But I'm just here to make sure you're cooling down. It's kind of my job."

"I'm cooling down, but if I had stayed there much longer I would of have killed her. Thanks for coming." Monica nodded, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Go on a flight and clear your head. It'll help." _She's right. _

"I'll be back." He ran at the nearest window, and jumped out. Monica watched him fly off, and hoped that this would allow him to clear his head.

**End: It's always something. Questions, comments, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18

Child of Grimm Ch. 18

Derek flew back into his room, and he immediately picked up on a conversation. _Monica is talking to someone outside of our team. Who could that be?_

"I just don't think that this is a good idea right now," he could hear Monica say.

"I don't care," was the simple reply. "I'm going in." _Oh I do not have time for this. _The door was thrown open, and Weiss jumped back in surprise.

"Yes I'm already here," Derek said. "And I do not wish to speak with you."

"Relax," Weiss said. "I just want to see how you are." _And what is with this sudden attitude change, Weiss?_

"I'm fine for now, but I know that's not the reason you decided for a visit Weiss." She paused for a while at this. "Spill, or I'll get it out of you." He could sense Monica frantically wave at Weiss from behind him.

"I'm just making sure that you won't kill Ruby next time you see her." Derek let out a sigh. _Oh sure, that's her main concern._

"Weiss, Ruby's questions were horribly out of line. I hinted for as long as I could, and she kept going. Her talent can only carry her to a certain point."

"I couldn't agree more, but she's still my leader. I want to be sure that you won't kill her."

"I can't promise that I won't hit her, but I won't kill her. As angry as I was, I needed to clear my head. Something that I feel I need to do often when I'm around you 11. Why would you even bother? If I kill Ruby, that could be the shot that you've been waiting for." Weiss' eyes grew very angry.

"Who do you think I am?"

"Weiss Schnee, spoiled heiress to the Schnee Dust Company that has never been particularly fond of Ruby as your leader." Weiss froze at the words that he had said. "The more important question is, who do you think I am?"

"Derek or Drake Flame, depending on your mood. Blunt, violent, angry, and strong leader of DRGN that never seems to get a grasp on his temper or his past."

"Then we understand each other." Derek leaned back in his bed. "You may pass on the message to your leader if you so choose Weiss." Weiss walked out of his dorm, anger in every step. Derek looked over at Monica. "Being a bigger Taituo doesn't make me any more fond of the heiress."

"She grows on you," Monica said, jumping into her bed. _How did I end up with her? More importantly, how did I end up with the others? _"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to wait for what will come next."

"And what is that?" They heard a knock on the door. _She moves fast, I'll give her credit._

"Come in." The door opened up, and Yang cautiously stepped into the room.

"Hey Monica," she said. "Hey Derek."

"I was waiting on you," Derek replied.

"How did you know?" Monica asked.

"Weiss was a little bit surprising to me, but I full and well expected Yang to show up. And where is the kitty?"

"Blake will be showing up later," Yang replied. "Why do you call her little kitty?"

"I've been calling her that for a while. You must remember that I've known about her faunus heritage almost as long as I've been at this school."

"I'm just here to see how you're doing."

"And to make sure I don't kill your sister. Yes, yes, yes. I won't, only potentially hurt her, so on and so forth. Now, goodbye Yang." He stood up to show her to the door, but Blake chose that moment to walk in. "Oh for fucks sake."

"Hey," Blake said. "I'm guessing you figured out the reason that we came here pretty quickly."

"I figured out that you would be coming very quickly."

"Did Yang get your answer." _They are messing with me. They are absolutely messing with me. There is no way that this is accidental._

"I said that I wouldn't kill her, all though potentially hurt her. Can you all please leave my dorm? Monica, you're allowed to stay." Monica let out a small laugh. Yang and Blake nodded, and quickly left the dorm.

"How did you know that would happen?" Monica asked him.

"Despite her role as leader of RWBY, the others still view her for her age. Thus making her take on the younger sister role. Luckily, we have no such issues here." Derek extended his new claws, and quickly retracted them. Monica jumped back in surprise at this.

"How can you do that?"

"I didn't know either. I just decided it seemed like a good idea." Derek quickly extended, and retracted his claws.

"What happens if you get to stage three?"

"The third dose is probably the bones that grow out of the Grimm. However, I understand from Lupa that Ouru may of have already inherited something similar to this."

"Lou didn't exactly give us a good image of this."

"Still, I believe that Ouru might be the next person to try and take me."

"Why Ouru over Orni?"

"Ouru is supposed to be stronger then Orni, despite some very interesting things that we've been told about Orni." Monica stood up from her bed, and walked over to Derek. She sat down, and leaned into his chest.

"You know, despite your reptilian traits your chest is very warm." Derek smiled, and put his arm around Monica.

"Blame that on the fire." He started to rub her back, placing his head on the top of hers. _I wish things could stay this simple. _"I wish that this could be the way things were. Where the biggest worry on my mind would be Ruby, or Weiss, or any of you. If things could ever stay that way, I could die happy."

"This is the life that a lot of people choose, and even more would love to have. I know you didn't really get a choice, but take advantage of it." Monica leaned up, and kissed him. The door was thrown open almost immediately.

"And we're back," Nathan said.

"And we're gone," Gwen said, grabbing Nathan's shirt. Derek pulled out of the kiss, and looked at the rest of his team. _As if I needed a reminder of where my luck stood. __  
_

"It's fine Gwen," he said. "You can stay. In the meantime, I have other business to attend." Derek quickly jumped out of the window, and flew off. The others just watched him go.

"Other business to attend," Nathan muttered. He suddenly threw on a jacket, and assumed his normal smirk. "I'm off to grab something to eat. Anyone want anything?" The rest of the students shook their heads. "More for me." Nathan walked out of the door, and pulled out his axe. "I think I get what you mean D."

_Forever Fall_

Derek was walking around the woods, seeing if there was anything that he could see. _You'll find me soon enough, whoever you are. _He heard some branches break behind him, and he dove forward. He quickly rolled up and looked over to see what looked like a Ursa behind him, but he knew better. He identified it as a person covered in gray fur, and with gray spikes coming out of their back.

"So you must be Ouru," he said.

"And you're the asshole that deserted," Ouru replied. "And brought two of us with you."

"I left long before you four came along."

"You know what I mean."

"I want you to listen to my logic Ouru. Lupa and Scorpio did, and they can see the truth. The people who took you in are the same people that killed your parents, not the hunters." Ouru ran at him, and swung his hands around, slamming into Derek's chest. He fell back, but quickly recovered. He extended his wings and raised up his sword. "Think this through Ouru."

"I'm done listening to you."

"Well you'll have to listen to me then," came a voice from the trees. Derek and Ouru turned to see Nathan leaning against a tree.

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked.

"Came to help. I figured that you weren't leaving for a flight, because you never say that it's other business." Ouru quickly identified Nathan as someone who was friendly, and rushed at him. Nathan waited patiently, and swung his axe into the ground. Ice covered up Ouru's arms and legs, and he seemed to be fairly stuck. Ouru quickly rippled his muscles, and broke free of the ice. He pounced at Nathan, who spun out of the way of the strike. He swung his axe into Ouru's legs, and they froze over as well. Ouru swung one of his free hands into Nathan's chest, and Nathan went flying backwards.

"Time to kill the wolf first," he growled. He felt a strong body slam into his side, and he went flying off of Nathan. Ouru tried to push Derek off of him, but his grip was like iron.

"I know why you're doing this," Derek said. "Otherwise, you would be dead right now Ouru. Instead." Derek swung his fist into Ouru's head, and then continued this process until Ouru lost consciousness. Derek bound him, and then walked over to Nathan. "Are you alright."

"I've seen better days," Nathan groaned. "And I've also seen better ideas. Is he bound?"

"No, I just left him in the open and if wakes up he'll kill us." Nathan let out a laugh, and then groaned again.

"Big bear sure does know how to throw a punch."

"As an Ursa he has inherently an incredible amount of strength. You might have a few cracked ribs, and it'll be worse once you get out and I have time with you to hammer in how stupid your idea was."

"Status quo then, D." _Damnit. I can't carry him and Ouru, and I can't leave him here to walk. _Derek quickly pulled out his scroll, and clicked on Monica's name.

"Hello?" Her voice came from the other end.

"Monica," Derek said. "Find Ozpin, or anyone with access to clear a transport with a medical area. Tell them that I need at least three open seats, more if anyone else wants to come."

"Medical?"

"Nathan might have a few hurt ribs, but nothing that won't heal."

"I'm on it." The line went dead, and Derek went on watch mode. _I'll be damned if I give either of them the leash to do something stupid. _The transport arrived a few minutes later, and Nathan was loaded in.

"A bit excessive D," Nathan said.

"I'm not flying you back," Derek replied. Gwen rushed up to him, and started to chew him out for his decision. Derek hefted the still unconscious Ouru into the airship, and strapped him in. Monica pulled out her spear, and sat next to Ouru. Derek leaned back in his chair. _It feels strange flying in a machine, but I have to keep watch over Ouru._

"Fly next to us," Monica said. "He tries anything, I'll zap him. With a lot more then what I used against Stephen." Derek nodded, and quickly flew next to the airship. _How does she always know what I'm thinking? No matter, I'll have to get the others to help me with Ouru._

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	19. Chapter 19

Child of Grimm Ch. 19

"What do you mean, 'it would be better if I let the others take care of it'?" Asked an angry Derek. He was standing in a room where they could see Ouru strapped to a chair, with Lou and Stephen talking to him.

"It's quite simple," Ozpin said. "Ouru's hit completely shattered Nathan's aura, thus the reason that he broke three ribs. I think that you should watch over him in the healing process. Plus, Ouru seems to hold strong hatred towards you and I believe your presence would encourage him not to listen." Derek nodded in response. _I don't like it, but I do understand his meaning. __  
_

"I thought Nathan had almost fully healed?"

"He has. As a matter of fact, he's being released right now. But we need someone from his team to pick him up."

"I'll go." Derek pulled up his hood, and left the room to get to the medical area. Upon arriving, he quickly identified where Nathan was and that he was dressed and ready to go.

"Hey D," Nathan called out. "You come to take me back too?"

"Too?" Derek asked. "Who else is taking you back?"

"I'm ready to go Nathan," came a voice from elsewhere. Derek turned, and saw a surprised looking Ruby. "Oh, I didn't know you were here."

"Why are you here?" Derek asked. "I'm his leader, it makes sense for me to come and get him."

"I thought you were busy, and everyone else on my team was busy, and JNPR was busy, so I decided to come and get him."

"Listen to me Ruby," Derek said. "I'm not that angry at you. You pushed your questions too far, but I think you regret that now." Ruby nodded. Derek walked up to her, and quickly hit her in the stomach. Ruby grabbed her stomach and bent over slightly.

"What was that for?" Ruby asked.

"I told your friends I would hit you if I saw you again."

"You are a cold man D," Nathan said.

"I have years of practice. Come on. I'd rather not be here for much longer." Nathan stood up, and they both left for their dorms. Upon arriving, Derek checked his scroll for any news of Ouru. He had one message, from Ozpin.

_Orion__ is now active. He seemed to accept Lou and Stephen's logic. That makes three members._

_You're thinking about a team aren't you Ozpin._

_Yes. It's the only way I could justify them staying here._

Derek closed his scroll, and leaned back in his bed. He could see Nathan gathering up some supplies.

"Where are you going?" Derek asked.

"Class," Nathan replied. "Time marches on, and me and Gwen have to attend class. We're almost done with it for this year anyway."

"Almost done?"

"Come on D, the holidays." Derek cursed lightly. The holidays were a time that students got off of class, and a time that most families would come and visit their kids. Some families couldn't do so, so they visited early. Nathan and Gwen's parents had already done so. For Derek, it was just one more reminder of where he stood. "On the brightside, my family already visited. All I have to do is kick back and relax."

"Save the training I will put you through."

"Later D." Nathan picked up his bag, and opened up the door. Monica was standing on the other end, and she looked slightly surprised that Nathan was right there.

"Out so soon?" Monica asked.

"I'm a quick healer," Nathan replied. "I gotta get to class." Nathan walked off, and Monica sat down on her bed.

"So," she began. "Today our classes end and the holiday starts. And my parents are coming in to visit."

"I'll entertain them," Derek replied. "I did so with Nathan and Gwen's parents. If I can tolerate Gwen's parents and their constant questions and requests for samples, I'm sure I can take yours. I'll just use my 'cold-and-straight-to-business' demeanor."

"Well," Monica said very anxiously. _Oh no. I know what she's going to say, and I don't want her to say it. _"I was really excited, and I said that I had a boyfriend and-."

"Say you broke up," was Derek's immediate reply. "Say that it was short term."

"I may of have used your name." _Well, shit. _"And they're really excited to meet you, and I just need you to be Derek and not Drake. Please?"

"I hate you."

"Thank you!" Monica said, throwing her arms around Derek. _I hope that you realize how difficult this will be._

"When will they be here?"

"Later on today. I'll try to be the one to introduce you."

"What's there stance on faunus?"

"They reject the oppression. They think that it's pointless." Derek nodded, and leaned back in his bed. "I'll be back soon. I have to grab some things." Derek nodded, and Monica left the room. _Why am I nervous? I shouldn't be nervous. Bah, worrying is pointless. I'll just wait for Monica to get back and her parents to arrive. Should I dress up? _Derek looked over at his dresser. _That's not an option. _Derek heard a tentative knock on the door.

"Come in," he called out, looking out the window. He heard the door open up.

"Hello," said a female voice. "Is this the dorm of Monica Rogue."

"It is," Derek replied. "Who might you be?"

"I'm her mother."

"And I'm her father," came a male voice. Derek felt his heart drop.

"We weren't expecting you till later," Derek said.

"Well," said her mother. "Moni told us that she didn't have any classes today, so we decided to surprise her. And who might you be?" Derek could hear some faint footsteps in the distance.

"Mom?" Came Monica's voice. "Dad? You guys are early."

"We decided to surprise you Moni," her father said. "Who is this?"

"Oh," Monica said, slightly nervously. "This is the leader of DRGN. His name is-." Derek stood up, and turned around to face them.

"Derek," he said. "Derek Flame." Her parents looked at him in surprise for a moment. "Don't worry, I'm not a faunus. I'm a Child of Grimm. Which sounds a lot worse then a faunus." _Stop talking Derek. Let Monica do the talking. _He extended his hand, after making sure his claws were retracted. He shook hands with her parents, who both just stared at him.

"I thought you would leave for a flight," Monica said.

"Flight?" Her mother said.

"Right," Derek said softly. "I'm not a Taijitu, I'm a Taituo." Derek extended his wings, and Monica's parents stepped back in surprise.

"You are a bundle of surprises," Monica's father said.

"That might be one of the better reactions I've had. I think I will take that flight."

"Wait!" Monica's mother said. "We wanted to have lunch with all of Moni's friends, and dinner with just you. Would that be fine?" Derek nodded, and then jumped out of the window. Monica's parents just watched as he flew away.

"Well he seems," Monica's father began. "Interesting."

"That's one way to phrase it," Monica said.

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. **


	20. Chapter 20

Child of Grimm Ch. 20

Derek landed back in the dorm to see that a note had been left for him.

_We're at the diner. Meet us there. RWBY, JNPR, DRGN, and the other Children of Grimm will be there. _

Derek set down the note, and sighed. _I just got back from my flight as well. _He jumped back out of the window, and flew towards the dinner. He landed outside of it, and walked up to it. He opened the door, and saw several tables all lined up next to each other. The hostess approached him, and he quickly pointed out the table. She led him over, and he took the seat next to Monica. They all stopped for a brief moment to welcome him, and then the conversations resumed. _Here's hoping that this will be fairly uneventful. _Derek quickly ordered, and just listened in one what was being said. He quickly spotted Orion, Lou, and Stephen sitting at the corner of the table. He exchanged a look with Orion, and his eyes told him that he was willing to put aside what made them dislike each other.

"So we have some interesting people at this table," Monica's Dad remarked. "Do the Children of Grimm mind me asking why they are that way?"

"Yes," Derek said quietly. "No offense Mr. Rogue, but we're not exactly open in sharing that topic."

"It's fine. It was just a question out of curiosity." Derek felt a slight vibration, and he quickly checked his scroll.

_I hate to interrupt, but we need you and Gwen. Reports of smaller Nevermore feathers are rising up in Forever Falls. The DNA doesn't read 100% Nevermore._

_On my way. _

Derek quickly stood up from the table, and waved his hand apologetically.

"I hate to leave so soon," he said. "But myself and Gwen are needed in a small operation for Ozpin. The rest of you, stay put." He looked over at Gwen, and she quickly stood up. "You have your weapon?"

"Never go anywhere without it," was her reply. He and Gwen quickly left for the door, leaving the others wondering what they were doing.

"I wonder why Ozpin only wanted those two," Pyrrha said.

"Who knows with Ozpin," Nathan said. "My guess is a wind issue came up."

_Forever Falls_

"So why exactly are we out here?" Gwen asked.

"Reports of Nevermore feathers have spiked," Derek said. "The only problem is, the feathers are only a partial match to a Nevermore's."

"You're thinking Orni?"

"Exactly. I didn't want to get the others to worry."

"I figured that much. I guess Ozpin asked for me because of my wind semblance. How will we find her?"

"Give me a minute." Derek threw off his clothes, and extended his wings. He flew straight up into the air, and blew fire around him.

"Subtle as always D," Gwen said quietly. _This should draw her out. If only-DUCK! _Derek ducked down from a torrent of feathers that were thrown at him. He looked up and saw someone covered in gray feathers with a gray beak in place of their mouth. She had long gray wings attached to their arms.

"I'm guessing you're Orni," Derek said calmly.

"Then you're Drake," Orni replied. "I've been waiting for this for a long time." Derek drew his sword, and Orni swung her arms forward. Feathers were launched at Derek, and he lowered his altitude. He fired off a column of flames, and Orni danced out of the way.

"GWEN NOW!" Derek yelled out. Gwen swung her axe around, and wind started to form around Orni. She was stuck in there for a brief moment, but she quickly looked down at Gwen. She opened up her mouth, and let out a scream. The force from her yell hit Gwen in the chest, and knocked her back. Orni looked back at Derek in time to see his fist hit her face. She tried to recover, but he hit her again. Orni held out for as long as she could, but eventually she blacked out. Derek flew to the ground and dropped Orni on the ground. He quickly bound her, and then walked over to Gwen.

"Are you alright?" Derek asked.

"I'm fine," Gwen said. "A little dazed, but good enough to walk." She quickly got up on her feet, and looked over at Orni. "Good to know you got her."

"You people interfering makes my job easier. They take time to focus on you, and I knock them out. An easy job." Gwen laughed and Derek slung Orni over his shoulder. "Time to finish up the team."

"The team?"

"Of course. It's the only way to be able to keep the other Children of Grimm here long term. There are other incentives for Ozpin to keep them of course." Gwen nodded and they continued their walk back to Beacon.

_Beacon Academy: Interview Room_

Orni was set up in a chair, with the other Children of Grimm and Ozpin on one side of the glass.

"We need to get her to join," Ozpin said. "We can have the induction later on today, if all of you want to stay."

"Where else will we go?" Stephen replied.

"I was told something very similar," Derek added in. "But he really does mean the best for you."

"Who wants to go in?" Ozpin asked. Derek quickly stood up, and the other three followed shortly. "Alright then. Derek, you'll be the one to stay behind. I think that familiar faces might work a little better for Orni." Derek sat back down, and looked out the window. The other three walked into the room, and started to explain the situation to Orni.

"What will their team name be?" Derek asked.

"L-O-O-S, or Loose."

"Team leader?"

"It's hard to pick one, but the other three told me that Orni acted more like a leader." Derek nodded, and continued to listen in.

"The situation that we've found ourselves in is certainly interesting. I wonder what he'll do now?"

"He'll go after all of you. He needs to know what it is that causes you to be the ones to survive." Derek saw that Orni had finally given in, and agreed to take a new name. "That's that. Team LOOS is now in existence. We have an empty dorm for them as well." Derek nodded, and went to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get ready. It seems that I have dinner to attend later on."

**End: Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	21. Chapter 21

Child of Grimm Ch. 21

**I'm only 2 followers away from having 20 story followers, which would be my first story over 20 followers. You people are really awesome because I didn't think this story was that good. I'm also 2 favorites away from 15, so this is easily the most successful story I've had.**

Derek was eyeing his clothes. _17 years and I've only just now come to need something apart from my heavy clothing. The closest thing I have to formal clothes is my armor. _Derek just shrugged, and found a clean hoodie, long sleeved shirt, and jeans and threw them on. He heard the door open up behind him, and he turned to face Monica.

"Hey Derek," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for dinner with your parents," he replied. He pulled up his hood, and turned to Monica.

"You don't have to wear anything formal, I'm wearing this."

"Yes, but it's your parents. I feel as though I should wear something a little more classy then a hoodie."

"You're fine." _Easy for you to say. You're not a freak. _Derek just lay down on his bed, and checked his scroll. He quickly found the location of the restaurant that they were eating at. He marked the location down in his mind, and he left to go see how LOOS was doing. He knocked on their door, and Stephen was the one to open up the door.

"It's Drake," he said. "Come on in." Derek stepped in, and studied the room. None of them had anything decorative, and the only thing near their beds were their swords. A curved sword with venom on it for Stephen. A jagged blade sat near Lou's bed. A cleaver with a jagged blade was near Orion's bed. And finally, a sword stylized to look like a feather was next to Orni's bed. The other three Children of Grimm looked at him, but then resumed their activities.

"I figured it would be rude if I didn't see how the other survivors of our curse were doing," Derek said. "Also, what name did you take Orni? Not that it would change the fact that I will call you Orni, but I'm curious."

"Olivia," Orni replied. "I decided on Olivia." Derek nodded, and took a long look at the others. The largest in way of bulk was easily Orion. His spikes made him stand out from the others, but he had found out that he also had the ability to retract them. The tallest among them was Lou, but she was also looked to be one of the thinnest. Her claws glowed in a wicked way, and Derek began to feel glad that Yang interfered when she did. Olivia was the smallest among them, but her wings gave her a longer reach then the others. Stephen was closest to the average size, but his tail made him stand out in any crowd.

"The odd bunch," Derek said. "If us five were to go out in public, there would be no mistaking as to who we were." He hung out and talked with the others. He quickly figured out that Orion wasn't big on talking, Olivia seemed willing to listen to anything but slow to ask questions, Stephen was already fairly welcoming, and Lou seemed to have a caring nature. After a while, Derek checked the time and realized he had to leave. He quickly said his goodbyes, and flew to the front of Beacon. _I still don't trust the people of Vale to not open fire on me. Though, I can't really blame them._

_The White Serpent_

_This is the name of the restaurant they pick? Seriously? _Derek was looking up at the sign, and shaking his head. He checked his scroll, and saw that he had no messages from Monica. He found a bench, and sat down in it. He sent out a message to Monica for an ETA, and she let him know that she would be there soon and that her parents were already there. She arrived shortly there after, and she was just wearing her jacket and jeans.

"Are we going in?" Monica asked. Derek gestured for her to lead, and they walked in.

"Name?" The hostess asked.

"Rogue," Derek said.

"Right this way." The hostess lead Derek and Monica over to a table where her parents were sitting. Monica hugged them, and Derek just gave a welcoming nod. They both took their seats, and grabbed their drinks.

"So Derek," Monica's mother began. "How are you doing at Beacon?"

"Well," he replied simply. They waited for him to say more, but Monica knew that he wasn't going to add in anything.

"He's acing all of his classes and he's undefeated in sparing," she added in.

"Really?" Monica's father asked. "Is anyone else undefeated?"

"Not anymore," Derek replied. "Monica recently lost to me, leaving me perfect."

"Really?" Derek nodded, and ordered his food. The meal continued on, and Derek continued with his simple replies. _I've made a living with these, and I don't intend to change my plans at any point in time._

"So," Monica's mother asked. "Will we meet your parents?" Monica and Derek both dead stopped in their meals.

"Mom," Monica said slowly. "That's not a good-."

"It's fine Monica," Derek interrupted. "You will not."

"Is there a reason?" Monica's father asked.

"Dad!" Monica said aggressively.

"Yes," Derek said darkly. "They're dead."

"Oh," Monica's mother said. "I'm sorry we asked."

"It's fine. It was a fair question, and it's been 14 years." They continued to eat in silence. _Good work. You kept a lid on your temper. So long as they don't bring up my Child of Grimm heritage, I should be fine. _Luckily for Derek, they seemed to steer clear of that topic for the rest of the meal. They finished up, and paid for their food and left.

"Well then," Monica's father said. "That was fun."

"If you don't mind me asking Mr. Rogue," Derek began. "How much longer will you be staying here? This visit does affect me as leader of DRGN."

"Oh we'll be leaving tomorrow. It was a short visit, and we must get back to work." Derek nodded, and parted ways with them. He started to walk back to Beacon with Monica.

"You know," she started. "This-."

"No," Derek stopped her.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"You were going to suggest a flight. We would be shot out of the air before we made it to Beacon."

"Please," Monica said as she started to pout. _Why does she insist on doing this?_

"This goes beyond just wanting to take a flight, this goes into your overall safety."

"They won't shoot us down." _She just doesn't listen._

"No, and that's final. Executive decision." Monica seemed disappointed by his decision, but Derek knew he made the right one. _I cannot shield us from several dust explosives. _They arrived at the front of Beacon, and Derek extended his arm.

"I thought you said that we couldn't?"

"On the streets of Vale, yes. However, at Beacon they know that I exist." Monica eagerly hopped into his arms, and he took off in a flight. He took care to extend the flight for as long as possible. Bringing them through Beacon's tower, around the school's perimeters, and landed in the dorms. He saw Gwen and Nathan giving him a long look.

"So you do take people on flights," Nathan said. "Think you could hook me up D."

"Depends," Derek said. "Are we dating?"

"As long as we take it slow I think I can roll with that." Derek jumped into his bed. _This has been a good little while. Team LOOS is official, RWBY is doing well, I almost hear nothing from JNPR, and DRGN is getting along quite well. Things seem to be going well. All the more reason to prepare for things to go wrong._

**End: Three things before my usual end message. One, I don't think that the reason that I named Ouru is really clear. Ours {not pronounced the way I'm sure you just did} is bear in French {or so I believe.} Since Ursa is bear in Latin, I strayed away from that name. Two, I've been doing a lot of character progression chapters and I apologize for that, but as Derek so kindly observed, it can't continue to go dandy. Three, if you're reading this story right now and you already haven't, please follow/favorite it since I'm so close to 20/15. Otherwise, questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	22. Chapter 22

Child of Grimm Ch. 22

**I crossed the 20/15 mark. Thank you to everyone who has read this story, and shout out to SPARTA for he was follower/favoritie 20/15.**

It was the next day after Monica's parents had left. Derek simply said goodbye, and watched Monica have her emotional departure. _She is certainly an emotional person. _Derek had just returned from his morning flight, and the rest of his team was up.

"Hey Derek," Monica said. "Is it okay if I talk to you?" _That does not inspire a whole lot of confidence._

"What is it?" Derek asked.

"Well, my parents gave me their report on you."

"And?"

"They think you're reclusive, secretive, and a dark individual." _Sounds very accurate. _"But they like you." _There's a surprise. _"They think that you're a good person, and that despite all of your baggage you would do all you could to care for those around you."

"So I have your parents blessing?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because I wouldn't of have cared if I didn't." Monica smiled.

"Get a room," Nathan called out.

"We have a room. We just have the unfortunate luck of sharing it with you." Derek heard his scroll go off, and decided to check it.

_We have a task for you. RWBY, JNPR, and LOOS are also present. Bring the rest of your team._

_Done._

Derek put away his scroll, and looked at the others. "It appears that my guardian has a task for us. Suit up team, we're in this with RWBY, JNPR, and LOOS." The rest of them nodded, and got ready quickly.

_Ozpin's Office_

DRGN walked into the office, and saw the other three teams waiting on them.

"How are they here before us?" Monica asked.

"Gee," Nathan said. "I wonder why? I wonder if someone possibly takes longer then everyone else to get ready?"

"Shut it."

"Ahem," Ozpin said. "Will you please have a seat." They all sat down, and waited on Ozpin's briefing. "Now, there has recently been a string of attacks on a town. The local forces are losing a lot of people, and they have requested the aid of 16 hunters. We simply can't spare 16 certified hunters, but you are the four most qualified teams for this job. The location is already on your scrolls. We have two airships ready for you. Each ship has seven seats, so Olivia and Derek will have to fly recon."

"Fine by me," Derek said.

"We prefer not to be in a device to fly," Olivia contributed. "Plus, we'll be faster."

"Good," Ozpin continued. "Finish up this operation as soon as possible." They nodded, and left for the airships.

_Isolated Town_

The airship ride was short, and boring for the most part. They had landed, and begun to do some surveillance. They split up into their teams, and started asking around.

"This doesn't make any sense," Gwen said. "This town has nothing here that's worthwhile stealing, and nothing here that would imply that it has any major resource. Apart from the people, there is no reason that we would be here. From what they're saying, there's a lot of people in these attacks. It seems like they're going out of their way to attack an isolated location." _She's right. This town is so out of the way, that it seems odd to coordinate an attack here._

"We'll keep looking," Derek replied. "Regardless of why they're attacking, this place has suffered a lot of damage and we need to stop this." The rest of them nodded, and they continued their interviews.

_Nearby_

"Sir, they've arrived."

"Are they separated?"

"Yes sir. RWBY is on the east side, JNPR is on the west side, LOOS is on the north side, and DRGN is on the south side."

"Good. Let us begin."

_DRGN_

"Thanks again," Gwen told the security guard. He nodded, and resumed his post. "This is pointless. They all have the same story. Unless we can witness the events take place-." Gwen was cut off by loud explosions from every side of the town.

"You were saying," Nathan said.

"Calling in to all teams," Derek said into his scroll. "Defend your sides of the town." Derek put away his scroll, and drew his sword. He leapt over the wall, and looked around for the attackers. The rest of his team followed suit shortly. _Where are they? _Several people emerged from the trees, and Derek recognized a common trait amongst them. "White Fang," Derek said quietly. He rushed at the men, and started to attack. The rest of his team followed him shortly, slicing through all of the White Fang that stood in their way. The more they cut down, the more that came out of the trees.

"They just keep coming," Monica called out. Derek nodded, and burned down another White Fang. He blocked one of their attacks, and stabbed his tail into their chest. He quickly pivoted and slashed his claws across another's face. Someone ran up behind him, but a gust of wind knocked them off balance and Gwen slammed her axe into the White Fang. She fired off another gust of wind to knock down all of the White Fang around her. A pillar of ice grew in the middle of the fight. Nathan stood on top of it, and he slid down, firing off shards of ice on the way down. Monica was twirling around her spear, and every time she made contact, electricity came out of her spear. More and more White Fang fell, but more kept coming.

"Come in other teams," Derek said. "What is your situation."

"This is Orni," Olivia called in. "Team LOOS is not in a good way. We're managing, but more keep coming."

"This is Jaune," Jaune reported. "They keep attacking."

"Team RWBY isn't doing very well either," Ruby reported simply.

"Damnit," Derek replied. "Keep fighting. We'll have to get rid of them." Derek put his scroll away, and flew up into the air. He started flying over the White Fang and blanketing them with flames. He circled around, and carpeted them again. _How are there so many of them? Why are there so many of them? Something seems off. _Derek landed again, and kept fighting. Something caught his eye. Someone was watching not too far from him. He looked to where he was, and his expression darkened. _It's you. _Derek extended his wings, and flew up into the air.

"COVER ME!" He yelled out.

"Cover you?" Monica asked. "What are you doing?" Derek ignored her, and flew into the woods. He saw the man running away, and he kept on his chase. _He's fast, but not fast enough. _Derek picked up his speed, and started to gain ground on him. Soon, he caught up with the man in the middle of the clearing. The man stopped, and turned to face Derek.

"Hello Drake," he said.

"You," Drake replied.

"Yes, I'm sure you recognize me from our meetings. I'm glad that this one could be real." Derek raised up his sword, extended his claws, whipped around his tail, extended his wings, and snarled to show off his teeth. "No need for that Drake. Tell me, would you like to come with us?"

"I'm going to kill you, but do so very slowly."

"Then I take it you're not coming willingly?" Drake's mouth started to billow smoke. "I believe that's a no. Hit him." Twenty men emerged from the trees, all of them carrying gas canisters. They all were wearing some form of masks, and the leader quickly put one on. Drake started to rush him, but all of the tops of the canisters were popped off. The gas that came pouring out started to make Drake slow down. He lost his ability to move before he got to halfway. He tried to drag himself over, but he was losing consciousness fast. _I should of have seen this. None of this made sense, except for one thing. Four teams, and one of them was mine. The White Fang wanted me. _He started to close his eyes, and his sword fell from his hands.

"What do we do sir?" Drake could faintly hear one of the White Fang ask.

"Put him in the ship," the leader replied. "We'll get him out. Leave his sword. Let it be a message to the others."

"Yes sir." Drake's eyes closed, and he completely blacked out. Ten of the guards hefted him up, and threw him into the prison area of the airship.

"Call the men back," the leader said. "We got what we came for." A White Fang nodded, and went to work.

_Perimeter of the Town_

"Look at them run," Nathan said. "Haha we did it. I guess they started to run low on men." Monica quickly pulled out her scroll.

"Calling all teams," she said. "The White Fang are retreating on our end."

"Same over here," Jaune reported.

"They're pulling back over here too," Olivia reported.

"They're running from us," Ruby reported.

"Derek?" Monica asked into the scroll. "Derek where are you? Damnit! We need you over here. Derek is still out." The others reported in a yes, as Monica looked out into the forest. "Where did you go?"

_Airship_

The White Fang had several gas canisters pointed right at Drake. There would be no escaping from them.

_Forest_

"DEREK!" Monica called out.

"AY D!" Nathan called out.

"DEREK!" Gwen yelled out.

"DRAKE!" All of team LOOS yelled out in unison. The shouting continued without any sign of him.

"He should of have heard us by now," Ruby said in worry.

"Why are we so concerned?" Weiss asked. "He can take care of himself. He's a Grimm after all."

"Weiss," Blake said, with a note of hostility in her voice. "He's helped us time and time again, I think that looking for someone who would go missing in the middle of a battle is more then fair enough." Weiss just shrugged, and kept going. They reached a large clearing, and something caught Monica's eye.

"Oh no," she said quietly. Lying on the ground, was Derek's sword.

**End: I crossed 20 followers and 15 favorites. I now have 23/17 so thank you guys so much for that. Otherwise, questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated.**


	23. Chapter 23

Child of Grimm Ch. 23

**THIRD TIME I'M WRITING THIS CHAPTER! I've gotten pretty good at writing this chapter. Anywho, I am one follow and one favorite away from 25/20 so thank you guys so much for that.**

Derek slowly opened up his eyes. He completely unaware of where he was, but he was aware of the pounding sensation in his head. He tried to reach his hands up to his head, but he found himself unable to. He looked down and saw that his hands were cuffed with metal dust bindings, and they were anchored to the ground. He played a hunch and tried to extend his wings and whip around his tail. He found himself unable too, and he figured that those were strapped to him as well. He tried to stand, but even more bindings were keeping him anchored to the ground. _No matter. I have a quick solution to this. _Derek blew a small column of flames at his hands, but the fire stopped just infront of him. Derek was slightly surprised by this, but he had an idea. He tried to focus on an object, and he found his vision slightly tinted. _A helmet of some sort. Why am I bound like this? _He closed his eyes, and let the memories flood back to him. _So the White Fang made an obvious trap, with obvious bait, and I bit. I brought this on myself. _He heard the door open up, and he looked to see two men. One of them wore a labcoat, while the other struck up memories in Derek. He was the leader of the White Fang.

"Hello Drake," the leader said. "I'm quite happy to see you back in this facility." Derek looked up at him, and remained in silence. _He will not get the satisfaction of hearing my words. _"Anyway," the leader said, slightly annoyed. "I figured that I would share with my best creation the specifics of your stay. You will have access to food three times a day, and water whenever you want. There is a function within your helmet that'll allow you to get the water. We will also allow you a very limited walking time to keep you in good condition. You will be under careful watch of our two guards. Since you are clearly impervious to any of our weapons, we made an electric modification to your bindings. If you try to do anything suspicious..." The leader hit a button on a small remote that he had on him. Derek felt an electric current go through his body, and he put his hands on the ground and let out a loud groan. "You get the idea. Come on, I'll be leading you on a small tour around the places you can go. Follow me." The leader and his scientist left the room, and Derek had no choice but to follow.

"As you can see," the leader boasted. "We have quite an extensive operation going on." Derek looked around, but kept his face neutral. There were many rooms and many White Fang training in them. The leader looked back, but seemed disappointed that Derek showed him no feelings. _Nor will I give him the satisfaction of seeing my reactions. _"Now, I'm sure you are wondering how we were able to spare so many men and yet, still have this many left over." _The thought did cross my mind. _"It's because most of those soldiers were artificial." Now Derek showed some signs of surprise. "Yes, a trick we learned with the help of others. They aren't very strong, but they served their purpose. In fact, if you were to go back to the scene of the battle you would see almost no bodies." Derek thought back to the fight. _He's right. I can't recall any corpses. _"And if you look this way," the leader said, gesturing to his left. "You'll see a place that should very familiar to you." Derek looked over, and spotted a doorway. Above the doorway was written _CoG. _The room was white and looked bare, apart from a metal tube visible at the back. _The Child of Grimm program's lab. How could I forget?_

"Sir," the scientist said. "We need the sample soon."

"Of course," the leader replied. He turned to face Derek again. "We obviously have been trying to make another Drake, and you're the only one who survived. We want to know why. So, we will be drawing blood. Please note, we're numbing your senses for your comfort and our safety." _Numbing my senses? _The leader hit another button on his remote, and Derek's mask filled up with gas. He quickly fell to the ground, and started to lose feeling. The scientist walked up to him, and placed a needle between his scales. _My fate is in the hands of the others. I hope you'll get here soon. _Derek blacked out shortly there after.

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

"What do you mean, 'Derek's lost'?" Ozpin asked the 15 students standing infront of him. Monica seemed like she was ready to break down, despite the emotional flight she had on her way over. Gwen recognized this, and decided to take the lead.

"Well," she began. "We were fighting the White Fang. At one point, something caught Derek's eye and he chased after it. He told us to cover him, and flew off. We couldn't follow because the White Fang just kept coming. We finally got them to retreat, and we called for Derek. He didn't have his scroll, so we went looking. All we found was a clearing with that in the middle of it." Gwen pointed to Derek's sword in the middle of the table.

"Gwen, we only found a few White Fang bodies at the town."

"How is that possible?" Pyrrha asked.

"We killed so many of them!" Ruby added. The members of LOOS looked at each other, and nodded.

"Ozpin," Olivia said. "I think we know why." Ozpin gestured for her to continue. "The White Fang learned how to create artificial soldiers through dust. They weren't good fighters, but they made for a good distraction. I think that they baited Drake in and captured him. They've been wanting to make another Drake for a long time, and I think they wanted to know why he survived." Ozpin pondered what she said for a while.

"This just became a much larger issue," Ozpin said. "The investigation will be conducted on a larger scale. We will keep all of you in the loop, and you will be active members of this investigation. You are all dismissed." They all nodded, and left to about their business.

"Where are you Derek?" Monica said quietly.

_Unknown Location_

Derek slowly woke up again. He could vaguely remember what had just happened, but he quickly let those memories flood back to him. He could hear his two guards talking about something, so Derek focused in and listened.

"How many of them are coming?" The first guard said.

"I think they said just two," the second guard replied.

"Two is enough for my taste."

"Shit, we need to get him up or else they'll kill us." The door opened up, and the two guards walked in. They both wore standard White Fang clothing, so Derek focused in on their faces. One of them had brown eyes, and red hair along with a pair of ram horns on top of his head. The other had green eyes and black hair, with a pair of rabbit ears on top of their heads.

"Good," the ram horned one, whom Derek previously thought of as the first guard. "He's up."

"Which is very good for you two," came the voice of their leader. Derek looked up, and saw him leaning in a doorway. The two guards quickly ran to the door, and waited. The leader walked into the room, and was quickly trailed by two people. One of them Derek identified as Roman Torchwick, but the other one wore a red dress and Derek was unfamiliar with her.

"So you are Derek," Torchwick said. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Quiet Roman," the woman told him. "You're only here because we need you to see what you could be working with." Torchwick backed up to the wall, and looked at Derek. "Hello Drake. We've all heard so much about you." The woman brought her hand around to Derek's chest. Derek looked at her, and blew a small pillar of flames in her direction. "My, my, you do have a temper. I'm sure that you're wondering you I am." Torchwick and the leader both looked at her in a surprised manner. "My name is Cinder, and I'll be working with both you and those like you." _Good for you lady. _"How much longer until the results come back?"

"Soon," the leader replied. "It'd probably be easier if you just stayed here until it comes back."

"What happens if the blood comes back with nothing?" Torchwick asked.

"Then we take another sample."

"Why not just kill him and get even more information?"

"I would never!"

"Boys!" Cinder snapped. "There are ways to get everyone to cooperate. All we need is... A little motivation. Tell me, I know that he cares deeply for all of his friends." Derek looked up at Cinder, his eyes hostile. "But there was one that he deeply cared for, am I wrong?" The leader smiled wickedly.

"I'll arrange to get the girl," he replied. Derek realized who they were talking about, and he tried to lunge forward at them, only restricted by his chains.

"So we've found the dragon's gold," Cinder said as she bent down to face him. "Tell me, what would you do to keep her safe?"

"Go fuck yourself," Derek spat at her.

"Now, now, now. That's no way to treat someone who you will be spending so much time with." Cinder went around to his back, and wrapped her arms around him. "We'll get the girl," she whispered into his ear. "And then you'll cooperate." Cinder walked infront of Derek, and looked back at him. She saw that he had no reaction, so she raised up her hand. Several tattoos started to light up on her body, and she fired off a bolt of flames at him. All of his clothes burned off, leaving him in his armor. "Oh, I recognize that. Traditional Serpent Warrior armor. Trying to hold onto a piece of Mommy and Daddy?"

"Burn in hell."

"Oh Derek, I won't burn." Cinder returned to circling him, placing her hand on his helmet. "Just as you didn't." Cinder walked away from Derek, and walked to the door. "Come Torchwick. And to you," Cinder faced the leader. "I will be waiting for you to call with the results."

"But of course," he replied. The three of them left the room, and the ram faunus closed the door. Derek put his hands and head on the ground in frustration. _She got in my head so fast. Monica can't come alone. I now have to hold out against my captors for an extended period of time. It's time to see how much the monster can really take. _

**End: Questions, comments, favorites, follows, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	24. Chapter 24

Child of Grimm Ch. 24

**Sorry about my lack of inclusion of the other teams, but that'll change. Also, I haven't gotten any feedback and if there is anything that bothers you about my story, then just let me know and I'll correct it if it isn't intentional.**

Blake was flipping through some files that she had gotten her hands on. From what she knew, the White Fang had relocated since she left. But that didn't mean that she couldn't compare her data with the data she was given. She had to find Derek.

"Hey Blake," came an enthusiastic voice.

"Hey Yang," Blake said without looking up.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to see what I can figure out to help find Derek." Blake continued to draw lines from one profile, to another.

"Can I help in any way?"

"No." Blake kept flipping through the files, while Yang just stood there awkwardly. Blake finally gave into her partner's energy. "Why not help your sister with something?"

"She's in class." Blake let out a heavy sigh. "How is it coming?"

"Not very well. From what I can tell, the White Fang keep disappearing at a certain point, but the location is different every time. The only way is if we managed to trail the White Fang, but no one has ever survived doing that. It's getting frustrating because I continue to fail to find Derek."

"You really want to find him." Blake could hear the underlying meaning in her partner's words.

"He's with Monica, Yang."

"But you do like him? I mean, despite his scales, he is still pretty hot."

"Now you're implying that you like him."

"Not my type. A little too, scale-y for my taste. But what about you?"

"He's like a brother to me. He kept my secret since day one, and joked with me about it. He was much more caring then I think we ever gave him credit for, but I don't think of him in that way." Yang nodded, and took the seat next to Blake.

"Let me help you." Blake nodded, and handed her a file.

"Find all of the connections between these people as you can." Yang nodded, and started to sort through the files. Blake opened up her next file, and hesitated. She quickly shielded it from Yang's view, and went to work.

_Unknown Location_

It was coming to night. Derek had yet to be let out since Cinder's arrival, but he did have lots of time to think. _It's no mystery who the brains of this operation is. Cinder's running this thing, and for some reason she views the White Fang as a good middle man. I think that I'm the reason why. Still, it seems as though Cinder views them as much smaller pieces. She's not alone in this operation, and that's clear. I wonder if the others will show up? _The prison door opened up, and the two guards walked in. The rabbit faunus placed a plate of food in front of him, and backed up.

"We'll leave the food here for you," he began. "Then, we'll detach your bonds and undo your helmet. We'll leave the room, and give you 10 minutes. At the end of those 10 minutes, we'll shock you and place you back in your bonds. If you start to cooperate fully, we can skip the shocking." Derek nodded, to show that he understood. _Even if I could kill one of them, the shocking is an unnecessary step of pain that I can avoid if I cooperate. _The guards backed out of the room, and Derek felt the cuffs holding his hands break off, and his helmet become detachable. Derek took it off, and went to work. He started a mental timer, to make sure that he finished in time. The food was surprisingly high quality. He had a piece of steak, that Derek couldn't identify, and some cooked vegetables. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep him strong. _Why go through this trouble of keeping my strength up? I guess they hope that I'll give them my cooperation and they need to keep my strength up._ He started to eat, and soon, only a bone remained. Derek quickly crunched through that as well, and his mental timer was up. Derek quickly fastened his helmet on, and his cuffs. _This is a good way to get them to see my cooperation in captivity. _Derek felt a strong jolt of electricity go through his body, and he collapsed to the ground. The two guards walked in, and they both were surprised at the scene in front of them. They looked at the bonds skeptically, and then the completely empty plate.

"Check his bonds," the ram faunus said.

"Why should I have to?" The rabbit faunus asked.

"Because I outrank you and you don't have a remote." The rabbit faunus sighed, and walked over to Derek and checked his handcuffs and helmet.

"They're both secured the way they should be. I don't know how, but he did it."

"Move out of the way." The ram faunus walked forward, and handed the rabbit faunus the remote. He went over his helmet numerous times, and then his cuffs. "How? And where's the bone?" Derek replied by smiling, showing off his razor sharp teeth. "You're one crazy son of a bitch. Let's go Pip." _There's one name. Pip. _The two guards exited the room, and Derek was left alone. _My best course of action is probably to sleep at this point. _Derek closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Monica was still up. It was getting far into the night, but she couldn't sleep. The knowledge that Derek wouldn't return was still weighing on her mind. He was such a huge part of her life, both as a person and as a leader.

"Hey Moni," Nathan said from behind her. "You really should get some rest."

"I can't," Monica said, still staring out the window.

"I miss D too, and I know that he meant a lot more to you then me. What I can tell you is this, D's pretty tough and whoever the hell did this is a psycho. He still views D as his best creation, and that means he won't do anything big to him. You gotta rest Moni."

"Why is that?"

"Because they're going to want to get him to work with them. They have sort of pack mentality, which is easily accessible for me. They know that Derek is not the leader, but a key fighter. They need to get him to work with them, and they'll going to do everything they can to get him to join in. That means us, RWBY, JNPR, and LOOS are all in danger. We need you rested up, because you're our leader." Monica nodded slowly, and climbed into her bed. She was amazed at how exhausted she was, and sleep overtook her quickly. Nathan climbed in, and closed his eyes. "You did good for once Nathan." He fell asleep shortly there after.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	25. Chapter 25

Child of Grimm Ch. 25

**Second time writing this chapter. The main reason I'm not producing chapters later on in the evening is because I experiencing some technical issues with my comp. Also, I crossed 25/20 so thank you so much for that.**

Derek's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked out of his one window, and realized that he had slept later then he normally would. _A miracle given the conditions that I have been subjected too. _Derek stood up as much as his bindings would allow him too, and stretched as much as he could. As soon as he kneeled down, Pip and the ram faunus walked in. _No time to think about what to do. _The ram faunus set down a plate of pancakes in front of him, and him and Pip left the room. Derek started his mental clock, and looked down at the plate Derek quickly noted that he had nothing to eat the pancakes with. _They're going to try and make me a savage. _Derek felt his cuffs and helmet come loose, and he quickly dispatched them. He extended his claws, and took a deep breath in. _Time to see if this truly works. _He swung his claws at the ground, and successfully broke off two of them. He grunted slightly in pain, but quickly regained composure. Derek concentrated all of his aura to his two fingers that had lost the claws, and they both regrew. _Handy to know for the future. _Derek quickly blew a small stream of fire on his claws, and went to work in fashioning them. He finished up, and he had something that resembled a fork and something that resembled a knife. He quickly checked his clock, and realized that he only had a few minutes. He started to eat the pancakes as fast as possible, and finished up with a little more them 30 seconds left. Derek quickly tossed aside the silverware, and put on his helmet and cuffs. He had just secured his cuffs when he felt the electricity go through his body. The two guards walked into the room, and eyed him carefully.

"Check the bonds," the ram told Pip. Pip walked up, and checked Derek's helmet and cuffs.

"He's secure again Beast," Pip said. "I don't know how he does it, but he's secure again." Something caught Beast's eye, and he walked over to a corner. He bent down, and picked up Derek's makeshift fork and knife.

"Utensils?" Beast asked, looking over at Derek. Derek nodded slightly. "How did you do this?" Derek raised up his hands, and smiled. "No wonder we keep him this locked up. He's fucking nuts. Come on Pip." Pip and Beast locked Derek up again, and he just sat in the center of the room. _Time to await the return of Cinder._

_Beacon Academy: Lawn_

Blake threw aside another file, visibly angered. Yang walked over to her partner.

"Calm down Blake," she said. "We can find him."

"We're getting nowhere," Blake replied, the frustration flooding her voice. "I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm missing something."

"We could ask for help. Ren and Pyrrha are free, and I think that they might be able to help draw some connections." Blake pondered this idea for a moment, and gave a nod to Yang. She promptly called Ren and Pyrrha, who both came over as soon as possible.

"You said you need help finding Derek?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah," Yang replied. "We're going through these files, and trying to draw connections. We looked yesterday, and this morning. So far nothing, so we thought an extra pair of eyes might help." Blake handed two files to Pyrrha, but hesitated before handing two over to Ren. Pyrrha and Yang were already back in their files, but Ren silently wondered why Blake hesitated, and he began to wonder if those were the two files that Blake had initially picked for him.

_Unknown Location_

Derek was waiting patiently in his chains. He let his mind wander, which helped pass the time. _I wonder how my team is doing? I wonder if LOOS put the pieces together and figured out what happened to me? I wonder what is going on without me there? I doubt that much has changed since my absence, given that it has been one day. Regardless of how long that day is. _Derek stretched out again, and something caught his ear.

"How could there be no signs in his blood?" A female voice asked angrily outside of his cell. _Hello Cinder. It's good to know that you'll be making a return._

"I don't know," someone replied. _And you. _"His blood is either fully Taituo, or fully human. There is no in between. Nothing that could help us tell who would survive the process. But, there is one thing that was confirmed by his blood analysis. Something that we've been waiting on."

"I believe I know what you mean. Knock him out, and then we'll re-chain him." _Why would they need to do that. Oh great. _Derek's mask started to fill with gas, and he quickly tried to breath some fire. _Maybe I can get this to burn up. _But the gas didn't stop, or burn up, or anything. It just kept coming rising up. Soon, it hit Derek's mouth. Derek soon started to lose consciousness. He faintly heard the door open, and he looked to see Cinder, the leader, Torchwick, and several White Fang walk in.

"Night night little dragon," Torchwick said. "We'll see you very shortly." Derek fell to the ground, and blacked out.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Monica walked into her dorm, and slammed her fist on the desk. Nathan and Gwen both jumped, and looked up at Monica.

"Rough day Moni?" Nathan asked. Monica shot him an angry look. "You know what I mean."

"He's still not back," Monica said angrily. "How can there be no sign of him?"

"I don't know how either, but we have to do what we can."

"Blake's research team is getting nothing so far!"

"Calm down Moni. I still don't know why we don't just ask LOOS."

"They already said that they were kept in an offsite facility. It was probably abandoned, and Ozpin already sent a team out to check."

"How could they not remember where they were made to be what they are? It just doesn't seem right."

"I'm with Nathan," Gwen said quietly. "It seems suspicious."

"Well we have to believe then," Monica said. "We don't have a choice." Their fears began to stir thoughts in Monica's mind.

_Unknown Location_

Derek's eyes slowly opened, and he looked around. He noticed almost immediately that his bindings had changed. His wings and tail were now free, but he couldn't reach any of his other bindings. He looked over and saw that his hands and legs were chained to the ceiling and floor, forcing him to be in a star position. He tried to move his head, but that was also locked into place. _What is going_ on?

"He's awake," someone said. Derek looked up, and saw a room full of White Fang, the leader, Torchwick, and Cinder. Upon hearing that he was up, Cinder walked over to him.

"Good," she said. "You're awake Drake. I'm sure that you're wondering why you're here." Derek puffed up a small cloud of flames. "You can pretend you don't care if you want. Now, your blood didn't show what we want. But, it did show us something of interest. You're strong enough to endure a third dose of the formula. Now, we thought about doing this in the gas chamber, but your pain would be dulled. Where is the fun in that?" Cinder walked away from Derek, and gestured to the leader. He reluctantly pulled out a needle, and handed it to her. "This will hurt." Derek fired off a pillar of flames at her, which she easily caught. _I expected as much. _

"Are you sure about this?" The leader asked. "I mean, is numbing the pain really unnecessary?"

"Of course," Torchwick said. "We need to show the brat who's in charge of the situation."

"He's right," Cinder said. "And you would take care to remember who makes the decisions." The leader backed up, as Cinder walked forward. She raised up the needle, and carefully inserted it between two of his scales. She injected the fluid inside of it into him, and then backed up. Derek felt nothing for a moment, but then the pain hit him all at once. He could feel his body growing in size, and he yelled out in pain. He started to feel the scales on his skin separate in certain areas. At that point, he saw in too much pain to understand where they were. He yelled for what felt like hours, but the pain subsided. He looked up to see nothing but smiling faces. Torchwick dragged over a large mirror, and he looked up at Derek.

"Time to see what you've become," he said. Torchwick flipped around the mirror, and Derek stared in horror at the image that was him. His body was larger, of that much he knew. But he now had bones protruding from his elbows and knees. He stretched out his wings, and saw that he had bone spikes coming out of every fold, and at the tips of both of them. He looked on in horror as he could see that he had spikes protruding all along down his back. _Now they've made me almost a full Taituo. Now, I'm a true monster._

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	26. Chapter 26

Child of Grimm Ch. 26

They finally led Derek back to his cell. It was almost a welcome sight for Derek. The previous cell just kept reminding Derek of what he had just become. _The others are in for a real surprise. _Pip and Beast quickly chained him up, making some readjustments to account for his new size and spikes.

"Getting these back pieces on with your spikes was a bitch, you know that?" Beast asked Derek. Derek just took a long look at Beast. "Guess you don't care." Beast and Pip finished up the bindings and left the room. _What do I do know? I could try and figure out if I can get these damn chains off. What's the point? How far would I get? They're prepared for an escape. Plus, how good is Cinder? My best asset is useless against her. _Derek stopped pondering this, and checked the window. _It's getting close to when they'd feed me lunch. I guess I was out for a long time. _Derek just got as comfortable as possible, and waited on Pip and Beast to reenter.

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

"Ugh, Port's so boring," Ruby complained. She quickly tossed Crescent Rose on her bed, and jumped on it. The rest of her team followed in shortly, and they all had very different reactions. Yang kicked back in her bed, and closed her eyes. Weiss opened up a book and started studying. While Blake pulled out a file and a pencil. She started to make marks, and erase them almost as quickly. Ruby's natural curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over to where Blake was. "What you got there Blake?"

"Something to help us find Derek," she said, without moving her eyes up. "I'm seeing if there are any connections that I can make."

"Can I help?"

"You don't have the patience." Blake would only humor their leader so far. Ruby looked slightly disappointed, but she left to bother Yang. Blake saw that she left, and she quickly pulled out a file. "Where do you fit in all of this," she whispered.

_Beacon Academy: LOOS' Dorm_

Team LOOS entered into their dorm, and they all sat down at a table.

"What do we do?" Lou asked.

"We say nothing about what we know," Olivia replied. "But, we do need to steer them in the right direction. You have the files?" Scorpio nodded. "Good. This will make it look enough like we found this place on our own. We all have to know the truth." The four of them nodded. "Now, time to pick a location."

_Unknown Location_

The door opened up to Derek's cell, and he looked over to see Pip and Beast walk into the room. They held up a plate of food, and slid it over to him. They walked out of the room, and then detached his chains. _I need to work fast. _Derek paid no mind to what was on the plate, and just wolfed it all down. He then reached behind him, and took a deep breath. He grabbed onto his spikes, and ripped them off. It took all he had not to call out in pain, but he looked at the fistful of broken spikes. He channeled his aura to the broken spikes, and felt them regrow. _I'll test the retractability later. _He compared the size of one of the spikes to the spikes on his knee and elbow. _These are smaller. Good to know. _Derek broke off several more, and then placed all of them together. He quickly blew out a small stream of fire, and the spikes started to melt. He continued to do this, until it formed a solid base. He checked his clock, and realized he still had a fair amount of time. _That went faster then expected. _Derek quickly broke off the spikes on his elbows, and started to heat them up as well. He started to carve out the shape of a spearhead. He finished up what he wanted too, and then he heated the two of them up again. He jammed another spike into the base, and then put that in the spearhead. He separated the two of them, and looked at his handiwork. _This is a good start. _He quickly fashioned out a fork and knife, and tossed them into the corner. He then closed his eyes, and let his spikes grow back. Derek then quickly figured out how to retract them, and re-chained himself. He finished up just before the electricity went through his body. Pip and Beast walked in, and checked around his bindings.

"You've gotten pretty good at this Drake," Pip said. "You could become a jailer." Derek just looked at them for a long time.

"Next time," Beast said. "We'll skip the electricity. If you do good, then we'll keep it up. You do good enough tomorrow, we'll just let you out of the hand shackles and helmet permanently." Derek nodded in appreciation. "You know, this whole setup was Torchwick's idea. Cinder just backed him up. He's not that bad."

"He turned me into a monster," Derek said, the hostility evident in his voice. "A freak, something that you two can't even fathom. Don't try to defend him to me." Beast shrugged, and went to exit the chamber.

"You became a hunter, right?" Derek nodded, but then realized that Beast wasn't facing him.

"I went to join Beacon, yes."

"Why?"

"Because he killed my parents, killed everyone who tried to help me, chased me away from my home, and threatened my friends. I saw a chance to get the means to kill him, and I'm taking it."

"Give it back, Pip." Pip frantically scurried over to Derek, and handed him the bone utensils that Derek had made.

"We know you've done more," Pip whispered. "We can't let you out of the chains yet, but we're going to let you continue." Derek looked over in surprise at the two guards. _It appears there is more to Pip and Beast then I thought. _They both exited the cell, and locked the door.

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

Ozpin was scrolling through the reports that he had. Since the four teams had returned, he had done nothing but look for him. He couldn't fail them. Ozpin heard the door open up, and he looked at who was entering.

"Team LOOS," he said. "What brings you here?"

"Information," Olivia said. "We found a research base through our collective knowledge. It should contain Derek's location."

"How many men?"

"A lot," Orion added in. "DRGN, RWBY, JNPR, LOOS, and a few other hunters should be enough though."

"How exactly did you find this?"

"Our collective knowledge combined with the files you supplied made it easy," Lupa replied. "It just took us this long to find what we needed to connect the dots."

"Understood. I'll call in the other teams when I get the clearance for six hunters to assist on this expedition."

"Understood," Stephen said. "We'll get to work gathering the information." Ozpin dismissed them, and looked through his files. Nothing in them mentioned a research base, and nothing even would bring someone to assume that a research base would be involved. Team LOOS was lying, but the only questions was to why.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	27. Chapter 27

Child of Grimm Ch. 27

Derek listened to the sounds of the guards walking back and forth outside of his room. It was more then just Pip and Beast, it was anyone who passed by. But Derek had spent the last several hours thinking about what Beast and Pip had told him. _They know? How do they know about the spear. Why are they helping me? What are the pieces that they have wagered? _Everything continued to run through Derek's mind, until his cell opened up again. Pip and Beast walked in, and pressed a button on the remote. All of Derek's chains broke off, but his helmet, wing bindings, tail bindings, and cuffs all remained on him.

"Time for your walk," Pip said. Derek nodded, and cautiously stood up. _If I shift too much, they'll see the spear. _

"Leave it here," Beast said quietly to him. "No one comes in with it empty." Derek nodded, and looked down at his hands. "Right." Beast detached the cuffs from Derek's hands, and Derek quickly set the spear in the center of all the chains, so it wasn't plainly visible. Pip and Beast eyed the spear carefully, admiring his craftsmanship.

"Will it melt?" Pip asked.

"Not if I keep up the heat in low doses for long enough," Derek replied. "I've tested it with the fork and knife." They nodded, and pulled out their sword. _Formalities. We can never dispense with them. _Derek walked forward, with Pip and Beast kept their swords close to his back. Derek walked around, let himself stretch was the big thing. He could view the White Fang's base without having to worry about concealing him emotions. The rooms were all large, and the ceiling was made of stone, leading Derek to believe that it was mostly underground. He looked to see that the rooms all looked identical. They were large, gray, mostly empty places with only the White Fang logo displayed over the doors. There were a few rooms that strayed from the norm. The cells being a good example for Derek to reference. The CoG chamber was the only white room. The cafeteria was a beige, lined with several tables. One room, just had it's door closed. Derek realized that it might have some importance, so he concentrated his hearing.

"How much longer do we have to stay with these mutts?" A voice asked. _Roman Torchwick._

"For as long as it takes," someone replied. _Cinder._

"What is his worth to us anyway? I say it's better if we don't let the brat get a chance to attack us. Kill him off now."

"Roman, his condition is of great value to us and their leader wants to make this as ideal for him as possible, otherwise the deal would be off. The other two are pushing it." There was a long pause after that. Pip nudged his sword into Derek's back. _Another time. _He finished up his walk, and returned to the cell. He grabbed the spear, and carefully placed it underneath his armor. He then picked up the chains, and went to work. When he got to the helmet and cuffs, Beast held up his hand.

"You don't need to do that," he said. "I don't think that the others will be in until tomorrow. That should give you some time to work." Derek nodded in appreciation, and sat down.

_The Next Day: Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

Ozpin was flipping through his files. Something seemed off to him, but he couldn't quite figure it out. He kept going until a small note that he had a message popped up.

_The hunters are here. Sending them to your office._

_Send them in. _Ozpin quickly tapped out a message to the teachers to inform them to send up the four teams. He finished up, and started to look through his files again. What was so strange looking? He couldn't quite figure it out. The door opened up, and the six hunters took a seat. They were quickly followed by the four teams, who all just waited.

"I would normally inform you of what's going on," Ozpin said. "But I believe that LOOS is much better suited for this. Olivia?"

"Right," she said quickly. "What we were able to figure out, is that somewhere out here," Olivia pulled up the diagram of a snowy forest on her scroll. "Is a White Fang research base. We don't have an exact location, but I can pick it out quickly."

"What are you going to do?" One of the hunters asked. Up until this point, team LOOS was wearing their normal concealing clothes. Olivia nodded to her team, and they all pulled back their hoods. The hunter that had asked the question almost fell out of his chair. "What-What-What are you four?"

"Children of Grimm, at your service. Anyway, I'll fly ahead of the airships and pick out the base. I'll call in it's location, and wait for you. Once we're all there, the only goal is to get inside and get to the computers. There are a couple of different computers that we can break into, so I suggest we split up."

"How many?" Pyrrha asked.

"Four. LOOS should be fine on their own, but I think that two hunters a team for the rest of you."

"Why exactly are you fine?" Weiss asked. "What makes you better then us?" Stephen whipper around his stinger, Olivia fired off a few feathers, Orion extended his spikes, and Lou flicked out her claws. "Oh, right."

"Now," Olivia continued. "We'll take the research site in the north, and you three will take the others as you see fit."

"We'll take the east," Monica added.

"We've got the west," Jaune said.

"And we'll take the north," Ruby finished.

"Don't we get a say in this?" One of the hunters asked.

"This is our friend," Blake said. "And this, is what we researched. This, is our show." The hunters nodded. They would still get credit for helping take down the White Fang.

"Is everything clear?" Ozpin asked. Everyone nodded. "Good. Get going." They all left for the waiting airships, and Ozpin opened up his files again. He looked through them, and then he realized what seemed off to him. There was an extra file, that didn't exist before. He opened it up, and found references to a research base for the White Fang. What was team LOOS hoping to achieve?

_Unknown Location_

Derek was sitting in his cell, blowing a small stream of flames over his newly finished spear shaft. It was roughly four feet in length, and with the spearhead it finished off at four and a half feet. The top was razor sharp, and Derek knew that it would cut through anything. Derek remembered something that he was told a long time ago. _The bones of a Taituo are stronger then steel. They become flame resistant under the constant stress of heat. In a bad situation, these could be your savior. _Derek smiled at the thought of the words. _And now, I'm turning it against you. _He kept up the stream of fire, and he realized that the bones weren't softening at all. _I've achieved my goal. _He quickly looked down at all of the shards of bone that lie on the ground, and he made a decision. He carefully laid the bone shards on the shaft, and he started to lightly melt them. He flicked out one of his claws, and started to carve in patterns. An hour passed, and Derek finally finished. Going up the shaft of his spear, were designs of dragons and flames. _Took a long time, but I finished. _ He looked at the one bone that sat in the top of the shaft, and heated it up. It softened up while the bones around it remained hard. Derek carefully put the spearhead over it, and kept heating up. Soon, he had a finished spear. Derek quickly put the finished product behind his back. He then kneeled down, and waited on the others to come in.

_Research Base_

Monica was sitting in her seat next to the rest of her team. The word had just been confirmed by Olivia, and they were moving in for the attack. There was only one thing that was going across her mind, vengeance. They took him, and now she would kill them. Her spear lay across her lap, and her face was like stone. She finally looked out the door, and studied the forest. Most of the trees had died under the freezing temperatures, and now the only thing that decorated them was the snow. Monica swung her gaze towards where the base was said to be. It was just a complex of large, completely white buildings.

"Their color choice lacks personality," Nathan said. Monica paid him no mind, and just got ready to fight.

The airship landed not too far from the base, and everyone piled out. Olivia landed next to them, and went about giving some instructions.

"I'm going to do a fly by," Olivia said. "Swoop over head, and let loose some feathers and a couple of screams. They'll be disoriented enough for all of you to rush in. That sound like a good plan?" Everyone nodded, and Olivia flew back up in the air. She started to circle the base, and quickly spotted the patrol groups. She stopped midair, and flung out several feathers. Several of them hit their marks, and the rest of the White Fang pulled out their rifles. Before they could fire, Olivia let out a loud scream and rings of sound slammed into the ground. Everyone took that as their opportunity to rush out. Team JNPR lead the way. Pyrrha raised up her hand, and threw most of the White Fang's riffles from their grasps. Jaune ran up and slammed into the White Fang. Ren started to fire off rounds from his Jade Dragons, and then started bringing them into the backs of the White Fang. Nora was swinging her hammer with reckless abandon, and there were several White Fang that decided to back away from her. RWBY jumped into the main fray next. Weiss was carefully fighting White Fang that were isolated from the rest of the group. Yang was bullying her way through the White Fang, swinging her fists with a passion. Blake had shifted Gambol Shroud to where she could utilize it's ribbon, and she kept a deadly arc between her and all of the other White Fang. Ruby was twirling around Crescent Rose with a kind of ugly elegance, carving her way through the lines of White Fang. Ruby finally took a second to look back, and saw that it was only them and JNPR.

"We're on our own," Ruby called out. "I guess they left to get the information." They nodded, and just kept fighting.

Team DRGN wasn't too far off. Monica had set her sights on getting to the bases immediately, and Gwen and Nathan just followed along. Just before they reached the base, several White Fang ran between them. Monica drew her spear as Gwen and Nathan grabbed their axes. The first White Fang charged, and Monica rushed him. She fired off a bolt of lightning, and sent him sailing. She spun around her spear to catch another White Fang underneath his chin. Gwen swung her axe around, causing a huge gust of wind to knock several of the White Fang off their feet. Nathan jumped in, swing his axe into the ground to get the ice to hit the feet of the White Fang. Soon, they cleared them out. Monica ran up to the door, and knocked the handle off. She ran in, and began to scour through the computers.

_Offsite Research Facility_

Team LOOS had gone very much out of the way from the others. They went north, like they said, but they went very far north. The others wouldn't notice. Their plan should be completed fast enough to get in and out before the others really could put the pieces together.

"Stop right there," someone yelled out from behind them. Team LOOS turned to see a large troupe of White Fang standing behind them. "You're coming with us. Time to give the dragon some company." Olivia wordlessly took off into the air, and drew her sword. Stephen got down on his smaller legs, lifted up his stinger, and drew his sword. Lou got down on all fours, and drew her sword. Orion pushed out his spikes, and then drew his sword. The White Fang ran at them, but LOOS was ready. Olivia let loose a torrent of feathers, and swooped down to start to swing her sword into their chests. Someone caught her in the back, but Olivia only faltered for a second. She quickly let out a scream, and sent the White Fang flying. Stephen was surrounded by several White Fang, but he wasn't concerned. The first White Fang charged, and Stephen quickly brought his sword into his chest. The second one charged, but was caught by the his stinger. Stephen quickly spit out his venom, and caught several of them. He quickly swung around his stinger into another's chest. Lupa was leaping from White Fang to White Fang. Most of the work was being done through her claws, but any of the White Fang between her jumps were taken down by her sword. Orion was just letting the White Fang get close enough for him to swing his hands. He was just too strong for them. Soon, no White Fang remained. Orion walked up to the door, and quickly broke it in half.

"Scorpio," Olivia said. "Flip through those files. Lupa, assist him. Ouru, sweep the base. I'll circle overhead." They nodded, and went to work. After a very short period of time, Lupa threw her arms up in triumph.

"Got them," she said. "Drake's location is right here too."

"Calling Orni and Ouru," Scorpio reported. "We got both objectives. Calling in all teams. We'll rendezvous at the drop after we download the files." He got in confirmation, and then Ouru and Orni walked into the room. Scorpio had his scroll hooked up to the computer, and Lupa was scrolling through four other files.

"Is what he said true?" Ouru asked.

"Every last word of it," Lupa replied. "All the files here are about targeting faunus children that show abnormally high amounts of animal DNA. There are a lot of crossed out names."

"How many are not crossed out?"

"Only a few. We're on that list, and so is Drake."

"Delete everyone that's not us," Orni commanded. Lupa nodded, and hit the button. "And you're sure that no one knows that we had this file?"

"Positive. I slipped it into the bunch Ozpin had too. Make it look like it was there the whole time."

"Let's get back to the others." The rest of them nodded, and LOOS went to the airships.

_Unknown Location_

Derek was breaking off his bones, and then regrowing them for entertainment. _This is what I've been reduced too. On the brightside, I can now do this without using too much aura, and it no longer hurts to do so. _His day, after he finished up the spear, had just been him using it with the limited range of motion he had and breaking off his claws, spine, knee, and elbow bones. He had already run through all of the possibilities of what could be the plan for him. That left him with one thing to think about, and that was where he kept his mind from wandering. Ozpin, his friends, and his team. _I've been pushing them away from my mind to try and keep myself in this state. If someone doesn't enter soon, then I'm going to fail that. _Derek's hopes were quickly answered, when the cell door opened up. Derek looked up in hopes of seeing Pip and Beast holding a tray of food, or ready to let him out for a walk. Pip and Beast were there, but Roman Torchwick was accompanying them.

"Hello Derek," he said. "I've come to check on you." _Why does he insist on calling me that? _"I heard that they've let you out of the cuffs and helmet. I came to see what you were doing with that." Derek spat out a small ball of flames over his head. Torchwick ducked, but it wouldn't of have mattered. "So, you're still not quite warmed up to us. I can't say I really blame you, but I've heard some interesting stories. Mind showing me the fork and knife you made?" Derek slouched down a little more, and just starting puffing up flames. "You brat!" Torchwick swung his cane into Derek's chin, but the cane just bounced off of him. Torchwick backed up for a moment, but popped open the bottom of his cane. "Let's see how much you can really endure."

"Sir," Beast spoke up. "We took all of the utensils that he made. Safety reasons."

"You took them away for safety reasons? He's a dragon, sitting here with spikes coming out of his elbows, knees, and back, and he can breath fire. None of those things are restricted."

"We took them away before that," Pip added. "He hasn't made anything as of late."

"Show me." Derek hesitated for a moment. _He isn't here about the fork and knife. They suspect me of doing something. _Derek quickly raised up his hand, and extended his claws. Torchwick raised up his candycane, but Derek swung his hand into the ground. Two of the claws broke off, and Derek quickly picked them up. He started to breath fire on them, softening up the hard bone. He quickly regrew the two claws that he had lost, and started to carve out the shapes. He finished very quickly, and tossed it over to Torchwick. "Interesting. Well, it was nice to see you Derek. We have many future business deals to discuss later." Torchwick left the room, with Pip and Beast following shortly. As soon as they left, Derek returned to breaking off his bones._  
_

**End: Long one. I was going to split this into two parts, but I figured I would do this. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	28. Chapter 28

Child of Grimm Ch. 28

Team LOOS finally showed up to join the other teams. The six hunters all looked at the new arrivals, and just nodded. They had seen the others fight, and they had no problems being led by LOOS.

"You have the files?" Monica asked eagerly. Stephen held up his scroll.

"It's all here," he said. "Already sent to all of you and Ozpin. It should hold the location of their base in it."

"Good." Monica climbed up into the airship, and pulled out her scroll. LOOS just watched her flip through the files.

"What's with her?" Ouru asked. "She seems.. Distant."

"She's been this way since D," Gwen said. "I'm pretty sure that she's just a little down."

"And a little vengeful," Nathan added. "She went apeshit on the White Fang." Monica could hear every word that was being said, but she just kept looking.

_Unknown Location_

Derek had just eaten, and now he was just sharpening his claws. Running them back and forth against each other. Every time he finished with one rake, it let out a sharp, grinding sound. Finally, the door opened up. Derek looked up, and saw Pip and Beast, trailed shortly by Cinder, Torchwick, and the leader. Derek just resumed raking his claws back and forth, paying no mind to the new arrivals.

"Hello again Derek," Torchwick greeted. Derek puffed out some flames, and Cinder quickly stopped them in mid-air.

"Now now Drake," Cinder said, in her usual seductive tone. "That's no way to treat your guests." Derek fired off a solid pillar, and Cinder stopped all of it. "I guess that your manners haven't improved. Now, I'm aware that you've found... Creative solutions to the problems we've been presenting you with. Which is good, because that's," she ran her hand down his cheek. "Is exactly what we've been hoping for. Would you reconsider working with us?"

"Fuck you," Derek replied.

"I thought not. Draw his blood again, and this time, skip the numbing medicine."

"Is that really necessary?" The leader asked.

"He's been ripping bones out of his body, I think that getting his blood drawn wouldn't be too big of a deal." The leader nodded, and looked around the room. Pip and Beast came in occasionally to clean up the bones, but the room was still littered. The scientist walked into the room, and raised up a needle. He quickly injected it between Derek's scales, and Derek realized that he couldn't feel it. _I really have desensitized myself to the pain. If they saw me now, it would not be good. _The scientist pulled the needle out, and ran off to the lab. Cinder walked over to him, and eyed him carefully. "No reaction to the pain? Time to test that theory." Cinder quickly reached behind him, and ripped out several of his spikes. Derek didn't realize it, until Cinder held the spiked points infront of him. Derek shrugged, and quickly regrew them. "How is that possible?"

"Ow," Derek said sarcastically.

"This is very interesting," Torchwick said. "We've never met someone who developed an immunity to pain."

"You give a dragon time, and shit happens." The other three laughed lightly at this.

"Why haven't you broken out yet?" Derek quickly demonstrated him trying to face his chains. _My range of motion is still too limited. _

"Well," the leader said. "It was fun visiting with you Drake. I hope that you'll reconsider our offer soon." The scientist sprinted back into the room.

"Sir," he said. "We have a small problem."

"What is it?"

"Our research base was attacked. We only had a few people that escaped. Their reports are conclusive though. It was them." _So it seems that they're stirring up some trouble. _

"They're coming," Derek said softly. "And when they do, they'll let me go. JNPR and RWBY will kill your men, LOOS will destroy your lab, and I'll kill you."

"I don't see that happening," the leader replied. He quickly left, trailed by Cinder and Torchwick. Pip and Beast watched them go, and then walked into the cell.

"We'll help you get out when they show up," Beast told him. "When do you think they'll come?" Derek shrugged.

"What's the deal with you two?" He asked.

"Couple of former hunters that got run out on some BS charges," Pip filled in. "We've suspected that the White Fang were the ones responsible for the charges, and you've only confirmed those suspicions." Beast exited the room, and returned with a plate of food.

"Dinner," he said. "Eat up. Your friends might show up as soon as tomorrow." Derek nodded, and started to eat. Pip and Beast left the room, and Derek finished up his food. He then quickly closed his eyes, and let the sleep take over him.

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

"So we have a location?" Ozpin asked the awaiting teams. They all quickly nodded. "Good. I'll have enough teams of hunters and huntresses ready to assist you in the fight."

"Will it be tomorrow?" Monica asked. Ozpin nodded. "Good. This has already gone on for too long."

"May I speak with team LOOS for a moment?" The others looked at them in surprise, but nodded. Only LOOS seemed like they were expecting this. As soon as the other three teams left, Lou stepped forward.

"So," she said. "You figured it out?"

"The extra file was easy to spot once I looked at the contents. All I want to know is, why?"

"We didn't know where Drake was," Stephen said. "And we knew that his location wouldn't be that hard to learn. If we had let it go without interference, you would of have picked a different base. We realized that this place was the only one that would of have had our records. We had to know if you were telling the truth."

"And?"

"They all confirmed our suspicions," Olivia said. "We deleted the files of the people to watch, so that the disease would die with us." Ozpin nodded.

"Just be prepared for tomorrow. Do not mention this to anyone else, and I'll keep it hidden."

"Understood."

"You are dismissed." The team left the room, and Ozpin checked on his combatants list. It's time to get back Derek, for those that he had made his promises too.

_Team RWBY's Dorm_

The rest of her team had gone to bed, but not Blake. She was up, with a candle lit beside her. She lowered her book, and looked around at her sleeping teammates. She quickly put it away, and pulled out the one file she couldn't turn away from. What she knew and what the report said wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she would learn tomorrow. She wanted to know where that piece fit in. She quickly put the file underneath her pillow, and tried to sleep, but her mind was still racing. She not only wanted to get Derek back, but she had to know what exactly happened while she was gone.

**End: Not as long as the last one, but it's obviously a setup chapter. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	29. Chapter 29

Child of Grimm Ch. 29

Ozpin had not left his office yet. He had fallen asleep at one point, but there was a lot of work to be done. He had spent the entire night organizing the plans, but it was difficult. Derek's location may of have been revealed, but the details of his captivity were still bleak. He knew that the main lab was there, as were the prison cells, but other then that there was nothing on the amount of men, the location of the cells. At this point, he was going to have to rely on the memories of team LOOS. He finally got the word that the other hunters had arrived, so he sent word to get the other teams. He walked outside to the airships, and awaited on the four teams arrival.

The four teams arrived, all of them ready to get going.

"Good," Ozpin said. "We have everyone here. The details of this operation are not very good. I can tell you that the outside compound is very small, and most of it resides underground. We don't have any information as to exactly where Derek is, so I want the four teams to scout for them. The hunting party is in charge of fighting off the White Fang."

"What about the leader?" One of the hunters asked.

"Let Derek deal with him. He won't be able to escape from his wrath. You will all understand soon enough." The hunters nodded, and started to pile into the airships. The four teams quickly followed, with Olivia waiting outside. As soon as the last member of the war party walked into the ship, she took off into the air. The airships soon followed, and Olivia led the way.

"You certainly seem like an interesting group of people," one of the hunters said to Monica.

"You have no idea," she replied.

_White Fang Base: Outside_

The airships landed outside of their destination, and Olivia landed next to them. Several teams with snipers set up around the base, and took looks at it. Ruby and Pyrrha picked up their weapons and joined them. Everyone else just started to swing their weapons around, warming up. Monica found a tree, and started to just pound into it. Gwen noticed her, and walked over to join her.

"You ready for this Moni?" She asked. Monica nodded, and continued to hit the tree. "We'll find him quickly."

"I'm worried about how we'll find him," Monica replied. "There's not telling what he'll be like, or what they did to him."

"D's a tough customer. I doubt he broke at any point." Pyrrha ran up to them.

"Get ready," she said. "There's not much outside of the base, and the hunters are saying that they'll cover us on our way over. But once we're in, we're expecting a fight."

"Good," Monica said. "Let them try us." The four teams walked up to the edge of the clearing, with the hunters just behind them. Most of the sniper teams were still set up, and they took aim.

"At the first shot," Ruby said to the others. "We rush them." Everyone gave a confirming nod, and waited for the first shot to ring out.

_White Fang Base: Derek's Cell_

Derek had just finished up eating, and he resorted to blowing small balls of fire at the wall. He found it a much less aura consuming past-time, and it worked to keep him occupied well enough. _I hope that the others will get here soon. I don't know how much longer I can stay here. _Derek heard the sound of a rifle fire off, and then silence. _That sounded as though it came from outside. That means one of two things. Either they're training outside, or-. _Derek's thoughts were interrupted by a loud alarm blaring through the base. _It's about time. _The door to his cell opened up, and Pip and Beast unchained him.

"We have to move fast," Pip said. He and beast flipped a switch on the bindings holding his wings and tail in place, and they quickly broke off. Derek extended his spikes, and stretched his wings.

"Pull out the spear and get going," Beast said. Derek reached into his armor, and grabbed the bone spear that he spent so much time working on. Pip and Beast drew their swords, and checked outside.

"No one's coming," Pip reassured them. "Let's get moving."

"Allow me to lead," Derek said. He stepped out of the cell, and flew just off the ground. Some of the guards looked surprised, but they quickly rushed him. Derek spun out of the way, and then swung around his spear, and caught one of them in the back. He stumbled forward, and Derek swung his elbow into his stomach. Someone else got close, and Derek just brought his claws across his face. He torched two more, and thrust his spear through another's stomach. He looked back to see Pip and Beast surrounded by bodies of the White Fang. _They seems as though they know how to handle themselves. _Derek quickly walked forward, and aimed to find his friends.

_White Fang Base: Conference Room_

Cinder, Torchwick, the leader and the lead scientist were all sitting in the room, listening to the alarm.

"Well," Torchwick said. "We'll be leaving now. I suggest that you two do the same."

"What?" The leader said. "Abandon all of the research?"

"Take it with you if you want too. But we're not staying here." Torchwick and Cinder got up to leave, but split their paths. The leader angrily turned to face the scientist.

"Get the research and destroy the rest of the lab. We'll have to setup elsewhere." The scientist ran off, as the leader ran off elsewhere. "Another time Drake."

_White Fang Base: Outer Compound_

The four teams had finally broken through the lines, and entered into the base. A small amount of hunters were still cleaning up the remaining White Fang, but most of the other hunters were inside with them. Everyone was scouring the room, looking for a way in. Finally, Stephen held up his hand and claw in triumph.

"This way," he said. He pried open a hidden door, and everyone walked over to him. Stephen went down first, and the rest of the teams followed. The hunters trailed behind them. They reached the bottom, and looked around.

"Alright boys," Olivia said. "The four teams will go looking. The rest of you, go to town." The hunters all dispersed, and the four teams started to walk in a direction.

"Come on Derek," Monica said. "Help us out." The teams all saw a pillar of flames off in the distance. "Thanks Derek." The four teams all ran over to where the flames were, and saw Derek standing amongst several dead White Fang. "DEREK!" Monica said, excitement filling her voice. Derek turned and raised up his spear, but lowered it when he saw who it was.

"What's with the spear?" Nathan asked. "And what's with the spikes?"

"A third dose," Derek replied. "And I had to improvise."

"You're all together," someone from behind Derek called out. "Good." The four teams turned to see a ram faunus and a rabbit faunus in White Fang uniforms right behind Derek. The all quickly raised their weapons, and Derek quickly spread his wings between them.

"Hey hey hey," Derek said. "It's okay. These are friends. This is Pip and Beast."

"We're almost out of here," Pip said.

"Not yet," Derek said. "There's an issue of the four of them."

"Four?" Weiss asked. "What are you talking about."

"Torchwick, the leader, the lead scientist, and someone named Cinder. She seems to be leading this operation. There's no way they stayed together. Pip, Beast, accompany one of the teams. JNPR, get Cinder. RWBY, you take out Torchwick. LOOS, get the lead scientist. DRGN, we'll take the leader."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Weiss interrupted. "We just went through all of this to get to you, and now you're going to take charge of this operation? What gives you the right to do that?"

"We have an opportunity to take down four wanted criminals, and I'm the only one who even knows the layout. If you wish to leave _heiress, _then feel free to do so. But we're going to take them down. Now, the lab is off in that direction. Torchwick and Cinder always walked somewhere in that direction, so my guess is that they're leaving that way. Cinder wouldn't let them stay together, just in case they'd be caught. DRGN, follow me."

"We'll go with LOOS," Pip offered. Everyone nodded, and split off into their different directions, with Weiss reluctantly trailing RWBY.

"Almost forgot," Nathan said. He tossed a rolled up wad to Derek. He quickly opened it up, and saw his sword staring at him, "Welcome back D." Derek smiled, and strapped his sword to his waste.

_Torchwick_

He was walking along as fast as he could, picking up some White Fang along the way. He had to get out before the others came for him. He saw the pathway leading to his airship, and gestured for the White Fang to follow.

"Hey!" He heard someone call out. Torchwick turned to see the members of team RWBY behind him.

"Hello again Red," he called out. "Isn't it a bit dangerous for you right now?"

"We're taking you down," Yang said, her fists raised.

"How unfortunate for you. Get them." The White Fang rushed RWBY. The first one swung his sword around, but Yang hit him in the stomach. The second one was quickly knocked to the side by Ruby's scythe. The third one was cut down by Weiss' sword. The final one was taken out by a quick swing of Blake's sword. "Why is my help always incompetent?" Torchwick grumbled. "Well, another eventful meeting between us, Red and company. But, I can't stay and talk." Torchwick raised up his staff to point it at the ceiling, and he fired off a shot. RWBY ran forward, but the tunnel was blocked off by debris.

"He got away again!" Ruby said angrily.

"Nothing we can do now," Yang said. "Time to regroup." Team RWBY turned, and left to rejoin the rest of the teams.

_CoG Labs_

He was going through all of the files, downloading his research onto the scroll that he had. All the other scientists were going about trashing the place, trying to leave no trace of the process' that went on. He was almost done, when he heard a loud scream. He covered up his ears, but all of the glass shattered. He looked up, to see what he was hoping not to see. His four creations, along with two other White Fang. Were those the ones that were watching Drake's cell? Orni was letting loose her feathers at every computer. Ouru was smashing the equipment as he was walking through the lab. Scorpio swung his stinger into every scientist that tried to escape, while Lupa assisted. Just a little bit more. He was almost done.

"Ahem," he heard someone say behind him. He looked up to see Pip and Beast standing behind him. "What you got there?" Pip asked, his sword at his throat.

"Nothing of importance to you," he replied.

"Maybe our friends over here would like a look at it," Beast said. "HEY! We got him." The team walked up, and surrounded him.

"Long time no see," Ouru said coldly. Orni quickly snatched the scroll from his hand.

"Information on how to recreate the process huh?" She said. "Anything here about a cure?"

"Why would we look into that?" He asked. Orni tossed it over to to Lupa, who just crushed the scroll in her hands.

"Oops," she said. "I guess I broke it." He looked on in horror as the research that he worked so hard to preserve was gone.

"What did you do?" He asked in shock.

"Making sure it dies with us."

"Now," Scorpios said. "We were ready to draw straws to see who would get to kill you. But, we quickly realized that was pointless." He let his shoulders relax a little, relieved by this news. "I would do it, because I'm the only one with venom." Before he could react, Scorpio spit out venom across his face. He recoiled quickly, but it was pointless.

"What have you done?" He asked.

"That'll take roughly a day to kill you. Giving us plenty of time to interview you, and observe." Pip and Beast were smiling idly to the side. The both quickly picked him up on his feet, and started to drag him along.

"Let's go," Beast said. "You've got a lot of people curious to meet you."

_DRGN_

Derek was leading his team through the halls, following the scent of the leader. Monica was overjoyed to see him, but she knew that his mind was focused on the task at hand. There would be time to celebrate later. Several White Fang stepped out from the shadows, and raised their rifles. Derek looked annoyed, and he raised up his weapons.

"Go ahead of us," Monica said. "Take him out. We'll cover you."

"Thank you," Derek whispered back. He flew up into the air, and went straight over the White Fang. The rest of DRGN immediately charged them, and started to fight.

_Nearby_

This would go over poorly. It was time to catch up. It would be difficult, but it was absolutely necessary. They silently ran past the rest of DRGN, and pursued Derek.

_The Leader_

He was running to get to his airship. If he didn't arrive soon enough, then Drake would catch him. The White Fang he left should be enough to buy him enough time. He was almost at the tunnel, but a ball of fire collided just above it, causing it to collapse. Oh no, he thought. He turned very slowly, to see Drake right behind him. He raised up his sword, and a white spear.

"Hello there," Drake said. "I've been looking forward to this for a very long time." The leader drew his sword and swung it around Drake's neck. Drake pushed the strike to the side with his spear. The leader tried to swing it around to the other side, but that attack was stopped by Drake's sword. He swung overhead, but Drake crossed his weapons and threw his sword to the side. The leader tried to back up, but Drake swung his claws across his face, cutting off his mask. The leader fell to the ground, and Drake stood over him.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked. "I'm responsible for you!"

"Which is why I'm here." He put away his sword and spear, and extended his claws. "I want to make this personal. For my parents, for my friends parents, and for all of the others you have hurt." He raised his hand into the air, but was thrown off a quick strike to his head. He quickly swung around his fist to where he thought his mystery attacker was, but he made no contact. _They move fast. _A strike caught him across the back, and once again they weren't there when he turned to face them. Another strike hit him in the back of the legs, and he couldn't find them.

"You know," he said slowly. "One thing a Taituo doesn't give me." He swung around his fist, and he felt it make contact with his attacker's face. "Is the ability to judge fighting patterns." He turned around, and looked stunned at who lay on the ground. "Blake? What are you doing here?"

"Don't kill him," she said, Gambol Shroud staying in her hand. "You can't kill him."

"What does he mean to you." He heard the leader laughing in the corner. "What's so funny?"

"Adam was my partner," Blake confessed. "But he was never the leader. I don't understand what he's doing." Drake walked over, and picked up the leader.

"What exactly is your role?"

"I'm not the leader of the White Fang," he said. "But I do run this operation. It wasn't my idea, but I was chosen to over see it." Drake threw him against the wall. He felt something wrap around his waste, and he looked to see that Blake had her weapon around his waste. Drake quickly blew fire on it, and burned it off. He started to walk forward to Adam again, but he felt Blake's boot hit him across the face. He turned around, and hit her in the stomach.

"Do not make me kill you!" He said angrily. He opened up his mouth to blow some fire between them, but he heard the sound of a shotgun ring out. He felt the slug go inside of his mouth, and break through some of the scales in the back of his mouth. He fell over, and felt the blood start to rush to that spot. He realized that unless he did something, he would loose too much blood. He quickly got some flames to come up, immediately stopping the bleeding. He diverted his aura to heal up the open wound, and then stood up. He saw Blake standing in the middle of the room, with Adam gone. _The one person whom I trusted from the first day I met her, and they just betrayed me. _Drake walked up behind her, and swung his fist into her temple, knocking her out immediately. He picked her up, and flew to rejoin the other teams. He quickly reached his team, and saw that the White Fang that fought them were dead. They quickly noticed that Blake was slung over his shoulder, but they didn't quite realize that it was Blake.

"Hey D," Nathan said. "You got him?"

"No," he replied coldly. "He got away, because she interfered." Drake quickly swung Blake around, allowing them to see her face.

"What happened?" Gwen asked.

"He was right there, and she got in my way. She tried to stop me. He put a bullet in my mouth, and I had to take time to heal it. By the time I got up, he was gone."

"What about her?"

"I knocked her out." They all looked at him in surprise. "It was all I could do to not kill her." He just flew back up into the air, and flew to where the other teams were. _She'll be someone else's problem now. _

_White Fang Base: Outside_

The three teams were all outside. RWBY had finished up the tail of their failure, and JNPR hadn't even found Cinder. So far, LOOS was the only one with a success. But that's not what worried them. Blake was missing, and none of them knew where she was. They looked off in the distance to see the members of DRGN walking up to them, and they saw that Derek had someone slung over his shoulder.

"Derek!" Yang called out. "You got him?"

"Not quite," Derek replied angrily.

"That sucks. Hey, we can't find Blake. Olivia is out looking for her, but we were wondering if you could-." Derek threw Blake to the ground in front of them, and quickly turned around.

"She's your problem now. They can fill you in as to what she did." Derek flew up into the air, and started to fly circles around the base. _I was so close. But Blake had to interfere. He still won't pay, but at least I have this much accomplished. _He fired off some flames in anger, and just kept going.

_Airship_

"How very disappointing Adam. We expected so much more from you."

"What do you want from me? I'm not even the main guy that you deal with. I was just in charge of the Children of Grimm."

"We'll still use you in the future. The only difference is, that we'll have a _much _tighter leash then in the past."

**End: Happy Thanksgiving. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated. Also, Adam is older then Blake in this story. He is 28 years old.**


	30. Chapter 30

Child of Grimm Ch. 30

**30 chapters and 30 followers. I'm writing this because I got my 30th follower, so thank you to everyone that has kept up with this story. A good Thanksgiving surprise.**

The ride back to Beacon was silent. They had waited for Blake to wake up, and she was bombarded with questions. After her explanation, most of the others stayed away from her. Derek had completely avoided her, and team LOOS followed suit. The members of DRGN said very little, not wanting to anger their leader. RWBY and JNPR sill stayed by her, but they really weren't too talkative either. The silence was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable, and she couldn't wait to land at Beacon.

They finally landed, and immediately reported to Ozpin's office. The four teams walked up, with Derek at the head and Blake at the back. They opened up the door, and Ozpin greeted him warmly.

"It's truly good to see you again," Ozpin said. "What do you have to report."

"LOOS was successful in taking down their lead scientist," Derek reported. "He's at the back of the airship. Though, you may want to interview him soon. Scorpio poisoned him, so he has about one day to live."

"What of our losses? And what of the overall condition of the White Fang?"

"It was a large base," Derek said very slowly. "And we destroyed their research." Derek hesitated after that. "Roman Torchwick and someone by the name of Cinder both escaped. As to the leader of the Children of Grimm operation, he escaped."

"How?" Ozpin asked, worry lining his voice. He knew that he wouldn't of have escaped without any help.

"The leader was a man by the name of Adam Taurus. As to how he escaped, I believe that it would be best if I wasn't present for this conversation. For everyone's safety." Derek pivoted, and left the room. Team LOOS trailed him, leaving only RWBY, JNPR, and the three other members of DRGN.

"What the hell happened?" Ozpin asked, slamming his cane on the ground. "And why is he so mad?"

"Sir," Monica said. "He has a lot of reasons to be mad. There was some interference that allowed Adam to escape."

"What kind of interference?" Everyone shuffled around, looking at their feet. "Tell me, or I will ask a hunter."

"It was me," Blake said awkwardly. "Adam used to be my partner, and I had to know what happened to him. Derek wasn't going to give me that opportunity, so-."

"So you thought it would be best if you let him escape?" Ozpin asked angrily. Blake backed up from his angry tone. "From here on out, you are locked out of any and all information regarding the White Fang, or anything connected to the White Fang. If there is any mission that involves the White Fang, you are not allowed to join in. If I find out that any of you," Ozpin pointed at the remaining students. "Help her find out this information. You will join her in suspension. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded slowly. "You are all dismissed. I expect a full report from all of you." The students left the room, and Ozpin sat back in his chair. Why would Blake do something so reckless?

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Monica slowly opened up the door, and looked to see Derek raking his claws against each other on his bed.

"Derek?" She said. He looked over to see her standing there, with his other two teammates nearby.

"You're fine," he said. "I'm not mad at any of you. You did what you could to help."

"It's not just them," came a voice from behind them. Derek looked over, and he seemed slightly surprised at who was standing there. _Why are you here?_

"What are you doing here Yang?" Derek asked.

"I came to check on you," she replied. _They're all terrible liars._

"I'm pretty pissed off, as you can well imagine." Derek went back to raking his claws back and forth.

"What should I tell Blake?" Derek angrily ripped off one of his elbow spikes, and threw it just above Yang's head. "Oh, I'll pass on the message." Yang ran out of the dorm, and Derek ripped the spike out of the wall. He just focused his aura to regrowing that spike. The rest of his team looked on in surprise.

"Whoa D," Nathan said. "Didn't that hurt?"

"Not anymore," Derek said as he tossed the spike into the trash. "I didn't have much to do for entertainment. So I taught myself to become immune to pain."

"I thought you got shot in the mouth and fell over?" Gwen asked.

"The damage it did to my body was more severe then the pain that I felt. All healed up though."

"Well I'm glad you're back," Monica said. "So can you put away your spikes before you hurt one of us?" Derek realized that he had kept out his spikes since he had boarded the airship. Derek quickly retracted them back into his body, and lay back in his bed. "How will you handle seeing Blake?" Monica asked. "And before you get mad, it's a fair question."

"I'm going to avoid her as much as possible," Derek replied angrily. "And for the classes we're in together, I'm going to just stay the hell away from her before I kill her." The others nodded, and sat down in their beds. "What day is it?" Came the sudden question from Derek.

"Saturday," Nathan replied. "No classes. You can do what you want to do."

"And with nothing keeping me chained up," Derek added in. "That third dose really did a lot to me."

"We can see," Gwen said. "You're pretty huge, and all spike-y."

"Another colorful observation from Gwen," Monica contributed.

"I do what I can." _After all this time, and it seems as though nothing has changed. That makes me glad. I would of have hated to of have walked into a completely different place. _

"I'm going to grab some dinner," Nathan said. "Anyone want to join?"

"I'll go," Derek said quickly. "It'll be nice to not eat on a 10 minute time limit."

"But with your appetite, that must of have been easy."

"Easy, but not enjoyable."

"What kind of a girlfriend would I be if I didn't accompany you on your first day back?" Monica asked.

"A terrible one," Derek replied dryly.

"Well I'm in."

"Since I'm not going to eat alone," Gwen said. "I'll join in."

"Team DRGN is back in action baby!" Nathan said.

_Cafeteria_

Derek was re-familiarizing himself with the students at Beacon. Some of the students he had been very grateful to see him, like Velvet Scarlatina. Others might of have been slightly glad to see him go, such as Cardin. Either way, Derek was grateful to spend the time with his friends. DRGN joined up with JNPR and LOOS before they sat down.

"The scientist is being interviewed right now," Stephen said. "He's only got a couple of hours to live."

"How long does the venom take to act?" Derek asked. "As in, will it be slow and painful? Or quick and relatively painless?"

"Painless. They would of have eased the pain, and the torturous part would be the 24-26 hour wait." Derek nodded, and kept eating.

"I must admit, the food here doesn't compare to the food in captivity. They did treat me quite well." They kept eating, with Derek having to answer the occasional question.

"How did they keep you locked up?" Jaune asked. "I mean, you're all big a spike-y now, plus you can breath fire."

"They were quite thorough," Derek said. "A fire proof helmet, hand cuffs, plates over my wings, tail bindings, and they chained me to the ground, ceiling, and back wall."

"Wow," Pyrrha said. "How did you keep your sanity?"

"Easy. I never really had it." Everyone laughed, and Derek kept eating. He heard the sounds of people approaching, and he saw Ruby, Weiss, and Yang walking up to him. "Hello," Derek greeted warmly.

"Hey Derek," Ruby said. Yang and Weiss just nodded, and sat down. "How are you holding up?"

"Better then the last few days." Derek paused for a while, and then asked the question that he had feared to ask. "How did you handle my absence?"

"Surprisingly well," Nathan said. "For some of us. I figured you would be mad if I made a big deal out of it, apart from actively aiding in any way I could. Gwen shared a similar view."

"We just figured out the info we needed to get you," Olivia added. "Otherwise, you barely crossed our minds."

"We just aided in trying to find you," Pyrrha said. "Looked through some files at every point we could."

"Really?" Derek asked. "Who's idea was that?"

"Blake's," Yang said quietly. "She started, and I helped." Derek nodded, and just kept eating. "She seemed really eager to find you."

"She wasn't," Derek said darkly. "She was eager to see her partner." The others said nothing else, and Derek finished up his food. "Well, this was fun, but I'm going to take another flight." They nodded, as Derek left to leap out of the nearest window.

"He's really mad at Blake," Ruby said.

"We're not exactly on her friends list right now either," Lou added in. "She did something that was not only against what we wanted to do, but against what was right to do. You can't honestly tell me that you hold no feelings against her."

"I guess," Ruby said, slightly deflated. "But she must of have had a good reason."

"If she wants to talk about it," Weiss said. "Then she can turn to us. But, I'm still mad at her too."

She was listening to their conversation intently. Blake knew that she screwed up, but she couldn't convince herself that she wouldn't of have done the same thing twice. She didn't quite get the answers she wanted, but she saw him shoot Derek. All of her friends were mad at her, and they couldn't provide a neutral opinion. It was time to call in some outside help. Blake pulled out her scroll, and clicked on one of the names.

"Hello," came a voice on the other end.

"Sun," Blake said. "I need your help."

_Elsewhere_

"I must admit Adam, you've provided my employers with a new spark."

"What do you mean?"

"Blake isn't being received well from her friends, causing some turmoil. We might be able to capitalize on this."

"But we have no other fighters. Unless you can convince our leader to give you more men."

"We have some other connections. Including some high priced mercenaries that are much more specialized."

"I hope you don't mean who I think you mean."

"They've greatly improved. And there are others as well. But you lost a lot of points to them, and now you and I will be working very closely together."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	31. Chapter 31

Child of Grimm Ch. 31

**And I hit 31 followers before I could write chapter 31. I will now only write one chapter for every follower. I won't really, but consider it a threat. Also, I'm not really getting any feedback, so if you have a complaint just leave it at the review section.**

"This situation has gotten more interesting Adam."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're willing to work with others, as someone with less authority, we have a job."

"Does it involve them?"

"No you idiot. We still don't have the manpower, and they're staying in Beacon. It's a dust raid."

"Those are still happening?"

"They never once came close to stopping. Do not mistake your own operation for what the White Fang was doing as a whole."

"When do we leave?"

"Very soon, Adam. Very soon."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek was lying on his bed. He was just enjoying his Sunday morning, and enjoying the fact that he had nothing to worry about for the day. Nathan and Gwen had gone out to pick up some extra dust, while Monica was turning in her report of what had happened. Derek had been excused from his report, seeing as of how he had already informed Ozpin of all that he knew. Plus, thinking of what had happened in the past made him angry, and Ozpin didn't want him to go through that phase. Derek heard a loud knock on his door, and he called out for the people to walk in. Into the room walked two people in matching brown leather jackets, and black shirts. They wore brown cargo pants, but one thing about them made Derek identify who they were.

"Pip and Beast," Derek said. "They finally let you out?"

"Yup," Pip replied. "We gave our statement, swore to give all the info about the White Fang that we could, and they called us hunters."

"Really?"

"Indeed," Beast interjected. "They knew what we did to help you, and we took down several White Fang. They tested our aura, and we passed with flying colors. Speaking of helping you, what are you going to do with that spear." Derek reached to the counter next to him, and picked up the bone spear.

"I think I'll keep it," Derek said. "There's quite a lot of me in this spear. You know how much time I spent on that."

"About two days," Pip finished.

"I don't blame you for keeping it," Beast said. "But what exactly are you going to keep it for?"

"A second weapon," Derek replied. "I can strap this to my back in a similar manner of how I hide it." Monica walked into the dorm, and jumped back in slight surprise.

"Oh," she said. "Hi."

"Hello there," Pip said. "My name is Pip." Monica's eyes light up in understanding.

"Then that must make you Beast," she said turning to face Beast.

"You are correct," Beast said. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Monica," she replied. "Second in command and his girlfriend."

"You never said anything about a girlfriend."

"I chose to not think about such things," Derek said. "I tried to keep my demeanor strong. Which, meant leaving you out of my mind." Monica nodded, and sat down on her bed. "They're here," Derek said loudly. "Because they're now certified hunters."

"Really?" Monica said in surprise. "That's great."

"Thank you," Pip said. "Well, we'll be leaving now. Our first assignment is to gather all of the knowledge that we have about the White Fang. That will take a long time." Pip exited the room, and Beast began to close the door.

"If only we were locking you in," he began. "It would be like a few days ago."

"Thank you for that Beast," Derek said. Beast laughed, and closed the door.

"Do you really trust those guys?" Monica asked.

"With my life. They had the opportunity to kill me more then once, and they aided in my escape." Monica nodded, and walked over to him.

"I trust your judgement," she said as she started to curl up. Derek held her close, and rested his head on top of hers. "You are really huge now," she remarked.

"Just another side effect," he said softly.

"Would you go back if you could? Become just a serpent faunus?" Derek took a long time to think of this. _I could lead a normal life. Or, as normal as I could as faunus hunter. I could be judged as something other then my Grimm nature, and be respected. But I've come so far. _

"No," he finally answered. "The way I am now, I can't see myself learning to fight any other way. Plus, I'd become more vulnerable without it."

"Good," Monica said. "I might of have had to break up with you if you said yes." Derek laughed, and just held her closer.

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

Blake looked around, and saw that everyone had finally left. She checked the bathroom, and then just outside. She set down a note, and left to get to her meeting.

The rest of her team arrived a short while later, and many of them began to wonder as to where Blake was. Yang checked her bed, and picked up the note.

_I know that I said I would turn to you if I needed help, but I need an outside opinion. I'll be back soon, and don't worry._

_-Blake_

_Sunset Cafe: A short while later_

Blake entered the cafe, and approached the cashier.

"I'm looking for a Sun Wukong," she said. The cashier pointed to the patio, and Blake nodded in thanks. She walked outside, and took the seat across from him.

"And so the cat comes back," Sun said, holding up his hands triumphantly. "I had begun to think that you'd forgotten about me."

"I wouldn't just abandon you," Blake said. "You did help me after all." Blake got a cup of tea, and then sat in silence for a little while.

"Alright," Sun finally said. "You told me something was wrong, so what's up?"

"Sun," Blake said, setting down her tea. "Do you remember when I told you I was a member of the White Fang?"

"And then we met the crazy guy who fought the robot chick? How could I forget?"

"I found out that Derek." Sun's face was riddled with confusion. "The dragon guy."

"Oh right. Continue."

"The Children of Grimm program was apart of the White Fang."

"Well that's not good."

"I didn't know about it. But, I also found out that my partner ran the program." Sun looked at her, listening to every word intently. "I needed to know what his involvement was, so I tried to question him."

"I still don't see the issue," Sun said, kicking back in his chair. "If you wanted answers, then you could of have asked for them."

"Derek wanted to kill him. He had killed Derek's parents, and a lot of other people."

"So you got there first?"

"No," Blake said somberly. "I got there after him."

"I think I see the issue."

"No, he wasn't dead yet. Derek was about to kill him, and I stopped him." Sun started to choke on his coffee.

"You did what?" He asked in surprise.

"The tunnel leading to his escape was collapsed, and I thought he couldn't escape. Well, he did and now I'm banned from anything involving the White Fang. Derek won't approach me, nor will the other Children of Grimm. Everyone's mad at me, and I don't know what to do." Sun thought for a very long time. Blake finished up her tea, and Sun was still considering.

"I don't blame them," he finally said. "But nor do I blame you. I understand that you wanted answers, but you screwed up. Was anyone hurt?"

"Derek was shot by Adam."

"Then I really don't blame them. As to what exactly you could do, I really don't know. Start by earning the trust of your team, and go from there."

"But what about Derek?"

"Why is he so important to you?" Blake had to consider this for a long time. Why did she want his trust so badly? She certainly never viewed him from the angle of dating, but she still had strong feelings towards him.

"I view him as a brother," Blake finally said. "He was the first to know about my cat ears, and I was the first to know of his true Grimm nature. I just naturally felt a lot of trust towards him, and he felt that way towards me. I broke that trust, and it's something I want to get back."

"Unless he hears your side," Sun said, kicking back in his chair. "I don't think that'll happen." Blake was immediately struck with an idea. She looked up at Sun, and just let her eyes talk. "Oh you must be joking," he said.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm: Night_

The rest of his team was asleep, while Derek remained awake. Team RWBY had informed him of Blake's disappearance, but she had returned later on that day. _What do I care anyway? So what if she wants to join the White Fang? She's already aided a criminal. _Derek finally felt calm enough to sleep, but he saw something in the window. Derek immediately got up, and pulled out his sword and spear. Derek walked over to the window, and threw it open. He immediately flew outside and swung around his sword and spear. He could sense that the person moved out of the way, and he tried to readjust.

"Hey, hey," the person said. _That voice sounds familiar. _"I'm not here for any other reason then to talk."

"Who are you?" Derek asked softly.

"Sun Wukong," was his reply. "And I recommend that you close the window and meet me on the roof. We can talk it out there." _Sun Wukong. The monkey faunus that aided...? Oh no. _Derek closed the window, and flew up to meet Sun on the roof. "Finally," Sun said. "For someone who can fly, you sure do take a while to get to the top."

"Talk Sun," Derek said. "Before I decide to take a stab at you with my two weapons."

"What are their names?" Came Sun's sudden question. This question took Derek aback.

"What?" He asked.

"Your weapons, what do you call them?"

"I didn't ever bother to give them a weapon, and that's besides the point! I can take a good guess as to why you're here, so talk."

"Alright man," Sun said, holding up his hands. "Take it easy. First, I want a name by the end of this meeting." _He's starting to grain on me. _Derek started to let fire pool in his mouth, with the smoke rising from his mouth. "Okay, I'll get started. I'm here on behalf of Blake."

"You're already losing my interest and patience."

"Hear me out. She regrets doing what she did, and how she did it. She says that she had no idea that he would be able to escape at all." Derek raised up his spear, and started to angle it. "And she really wants to earn your trust again."

"Did she tell you that I was shot?" Derek asked, the underlying threat evident in his voice. Sun nodded. "Did she tell you what I was doing when I took that bullet?" Now Sun shook his head. "I was getting ready to separate Blake from Adam. I did this for two reason. The first of which, I couldn't let her interfere again. The second, I wanted to keep her safe. I held Blake to the highest level of protection. She kept my secret, and I kept hers. Outside of my team, there was no one I trusted more. She blatantly betrayed that trust. I understand that she wants it again, but I can't ever forgive her for what she did. Pass on that message."

"No need for that," came a voice from the door. _Take a deep breath in Derek. _He slowly turned, and saw Blake standing in the shadows.

"Hello Blake," Derek said coldly.

"Hi Derek," she replied, much calmer. Derek turned to fly, but was stopped by a strong strike to his back. He turned to see Sun holding his weapon. Derek extended all of his spikes, and raised up his weapons.

"Hehe," Sun laughed nervously.

"Derek stop!" Blake said. "This was the only way I could talk to you."

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to talk?" Derek challenged.

"I know you don't, but we have to talk. Derek, I love you like a brother. I know what I did was wrong, and I'm going to pay for it. I understand if you don't trust me, but do me one favor. Ask Adam what he did before you kill him." Derek turned to leave, but one thing seemed to form in his mind. _I love you like a brother. Those feelings were mutual, but did she say before you kill him? Does she accept her new role? _Derek retracted his spikes, and folded up his wings. He stepped down, and Sun backed away from him. Derek walked over, and gave Blake a large hug. _It took me this long to see how hurt she was by this. _He pulled her close, and let her let loose the emotions that she had kept penned up.

"It's okay Blake," he said softly. "You're okay. I'll tell him, and I'll put in a good word with Ozpin for you to resume involvement with the investigations."

"Thank you," Blake said through her soft sobs. "I promise, I'll won't interfere. He never was a good person, even before the White Fang changed." Derek broke the hug, and heard Sun cough loudly.

"Well," he said. "I'm going to leave before someone finds out that I'm not supposed to be here."

"Wait a minute Sun," Derek said. "I think I've picked two names." He flipped around his spear. "Dragon's Bone." Derek put it away, and raised up his sword. "Dragon's Gold." Sun smiled at his choice of names.

"Why'd you choose those?"

"Well the hilt of my sword is a dragon curled around a gem. And my spear is made of these." Derek extended his spikes, and held up the spear next to them.

"Oh," Sun said in surprise. "Good to know. Hey, did you ever think about psycho therapy?" Derek puffed out some fire, and Sun took that as his cue. "Okay, I'm leaving." He hopped off the rood, and started running. Derek tensed his muscles to fly.

"Goodnight Blake," he said.

"Goodnight," she replied. He flew off to his dorm, leaving her smiling on the roof. _It's a good thing to clear the air sometimes. I still don't fully trust her, but I'm just not quite as angry._

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	32. Chapter 32

Child of Grimm Ch. 32

Derek awoke early in the morning, and was faintly aware that it was a sparring day. Normally, he'd take the time to get ready with his team. _But I must keep my promise to Blake. _He quickly threw on his armor, and flew off to Ozpin's office.

He quickly knocked on the door, and Ozpin opened it up.

"Ah," he said. "Derek. Come in. I must admit, I wasn't expecting you." Derek walked inside, and sat down in a chair. "What is it that you wish to speak with me about?"

"Blake," Derek said simply. Ozpin's expression grew worried, but he quickly recovered.

"What more is there to discuss?"

"I talked with her last night. I want you to restore her to active duty." Now Ozpin looked surprised.

"What is with the sudden change of heart?"

"She's proven to me that she deeply regrets what she did. I don't believe that she'd try to do what she did before. So long as I ask nicely before I kill him." Ozpin very slowly nodded.

"I can't do that," he said. "She committed a crime, and I gave her a light punishment. Unless she can redeem herself, there's nothing I can do." Derek just shrugged.

"No lost sleep on my end," he said calmly. "I promised her that I'd ask." Ozpin nodded, and checked his schedule.

"You have a big day today," Ozpin replied. "A marathon sparing class."

"Yes," Derek replied boardly. "Goodwitch said I needed a way to get myself back into it."

"I won't keep you any longer," Ozpin said. "I'm really glad to have you back." Derek shook hands with Ozpin, and left for sparing.

_Elsewhere_

"I understand Cinder. Yes, goodbye. Now, Adam. We'll conduct our dust raid tomorrow. With the help of your organization, and a few other cheap mercenaries."

"Cheap?"

"Of course. We don't want them to cost us too much."

"Was there anything about what the White Fang plan to do with me?"

"Yes. They're keeping you under our very gainful employment. They seem quite eager for you to be our problem."

_Beacon Academy: Sparing Class_

"Alright class," Goodwitch said to everyone. "Today, we have our first marathon duel. This is the process where we will have one student keep fighting until he is defeated, or class ends. This is a result of Mr. Flame coming back after a long absence. Mr. Flame, please get ready." Derek nodded, and jumped onto the stage. "Any volunteers for the first fight?" Nora eagerly ran across from him, and pulled out her hammer. "Very well then Ms. Valkyrie."

"Good luck Nora," Derek said.

"You too," she replied.

"Begin!" Goodwitch called out. Nora immediately swung her hammer at him, and Derek danced out of the way. She then swung her hammer into the ground, and fired off a grenade. Derek managed to just avoid the explosion. _I need to be more cautious. _He flew up into the air, and sped towards Nora. She swung around her hammer, but Derek rolled out of the way. He swung his spear into the back of her hammer, and threw it from her grasp. He then tackled her to the ground, and almost knocked her out.

"Ms. Valkyrie has lost the fight," Goodwitch called out. "One strike is all Mr. Flame needed. I see that nothing has hurt your strength Mr. Flame. Who's next?" The process continued for a while. Derek scored quick wins against the rest of JNPR, and quick wins against WALL and CRDL. Goodwitch was beginning to get a little concerned. "Okay," she said. "How about I pick your next opponent? Ms. Xiao Long, will you take the arena?" Yang nodded, and rubbed her hands together. She quickly activated her Celica, and poised them to fight.

"Bring it on D," she said. Derek smiled coldly. _Gladly. _

"Begin!" Yang fired off a shot, and Derek let it hit his chest. _She still hasn't learned. _The force of the attack did nothing to him, and Derek just started to walk forward. Yang quickly fired off a shot to propel herself closer, and then she fired off a shot to propel her fist into his face.

"FUCK!" She yelled out. She could hear the bones in her right hand crunch under the impact. Derek quickly kneed {his spikes retracted} her in the stomach. Yang fell to the ground, and Goodwitch called the match and some medics.

"I'm sorry Yang," Derek apologized.

"That was on me," she said dismissively. "I always forget how strong your scales are." The medic helped her off elsewhere, taking a look at her hand. _I can save him some time and just tell him that it's broken. _

"Onto the next match," Goodwitch said. "How about Ms. Schnee?" Weiss took the stage, and carefully leveled her sword. At the sound to begin, Weiss flew forward and swung a line of flames at his chest. _You must be joking. _Derek let the fire hit him, and quickly knocked Weiss out. "Well that wasn't much. Let's mix things up a little bit. Ms. Rose and Ms. Belladonna?" Ruby and Blake took the stage across from Derek. _Two on one? This just got more interesting. _"Begin!" Ruby rushed Derek, and he just flew out of the way of her strike. Derek then flew behind her, and knocked her out. Without even pausing, he swung his elbow back and caught Blake in the chin.

"This is ridiculous," Monica said from the stands. "He's tearing through everyone."

"No kidding Moni," Gwen said. "I just hope that we're not next."

"Let's try the rest of DRGN," Goodwitch said.

"You had to open your mouth," Nathan said. He hopped up, and Monica and Gwen quickly trailed. Monica leaned into them, and whispered something. _I can't hear it. Why can't I hear it? _Derek pushed the thoughts from his mind, and looked at his three teammates. _My perfection is on the line. They know my fighting style better then everyone else, and I expect them to take advantage of that. _Goodwitch called for the match to begin, and Monica fired off a bolt of lightning. Derek danced out of the way, and fired off a column of flames. Monica dodged out of the way, and fired off some more lightning. _What is she doing?_

"NOW!" She yelled out. She quickly rolled out of the way, and a tornado of ice slammed into him. Derek could feel his whole body freezing over, and he was growing stiff. He could hear the other three celebrating, as he was effectively incapacitated. Derek closed his eyes. _I can't do anything externally. But let's see if this trick will work. _Derek concentrated all of fire abilities to the rest of his body. He could feel his temperature start to rise, but it wasn't quite what he was looking for. Finally, flames started to pour out of the spots in between his scales, melting the ice off of him. He shook off the water, and listened to the stunned silence. His team was still celebrating too much to realize that the entire audience, and Glynda Goodwitch, were staring behind them in silence.

"Ahem," Derek said. His team turned to face him in shock. "Don't get ahead of yourselves." Nathan came out of it first, and he charged forward. Derek quickly dodged out of the way of his strike, and brought his fist into the back of Nathan's head. Nathan immediately collapsed, and Gwen tried her luck. She fired off a row of wind that hit Derek square in the chest. He withstood the force, and flapped his wings to stabilize himself. He immediately rushed Gwen, and landed a solid blow to her stomach. He then brought his knee into her chest, and threw her to the ground. Monica fired off another bolt of lightning, but Derek dodged out of the way of that. He then ran forward, and hit he in the head.

"I don't believe it," he could hear Goodwitch say. "Mr. Flame, class is over and you have remained unbeaten. I suggest that you get your teammates, and get some rest." Derek nodded, and started to try and wake his team up. _Today has taught me a lot about what my new abilities have granted me. One of those being, that I'm now very much so strong enough to take on almost anything._

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	33. Chapter 33

Child of Grimm Ch. 33

**First question in a while. Will I do a party chapter? Like for Christmas, or Ruby's birthday, or anyone's birthday. I did think about it for Thanksgiving, but decided against it since it wouldn't of have fit in the story progression. I think after a few more chapters, I might just write something stupid and fun.**

Derek awoke early in the morning, and made a beeline for the hospital. _I really do feel terrible. _He quickly entered in, and found Yang just getting up from her bed with a huge cast on her right hand.

"Hey Derek," she said warmly. "I think I can guess why you're here."

"I'm sorry Yang," he replied quickly. "How long?"

"A few days. Luckily, I'm a quick healer so they're letting me out today. I just can't use it for a while. I'm right handed too..." Derek smiled, and looked around.

"Where is your team? Shouldn't they be here?"

"I got your stuff Yang," came a cheery voice from behind him. _I speak too soon. _Derek turned to face Ruby and Blake, and they seemed slightly shocked to see him.

"Hello you two," he said warmly. "I'm just here to check on the patient. I feel fairly responsible for this."

"You have a reason too," Blake replied.

"Be careful what you say little kitty," Derek teased. Blake smiled, and twitched her ears in mock anger. Yang and Ruby watched the scene unfold in slight surprise. "Where's Weiss?" Derek asked, only just noticing the heiress' absence.

"Talking with her dad," Ruby replied. "She told us to go ahead." Derek just nodded, and looked over at the small mound of things that Yang had.

"How long were you planning on being here?" He asked.

"Not long," Yang replied. "That's my one day kit."

"For a girl that really doesn't seem to give a damn about what others think, you sure don't pack very light." Yang just shrugged. "Let me help with that." Derek bent over, and grabbed the small bundle. He let the three girls lead him to their dorm, and he quickly walked in.

"I will," Weiss said, holding up a finger. "Bye dad." She quickly hung up, and looked over at Yang. "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty good," she replied. Weiss brought her head around to see Derek setting down her stuff.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked, a note of both surprise and hostility in there.

"Relax Weiss," Derek said. "I feel bad that I broke Yang's hand, so I decided to help her get back in." Weiss seemed to relax a little bit. "Why would you be on your guard? Yesterday was a combat situation."

"Fair enough," Weiss replied. "I still don't fully trust you."

"I want to be mad," Derek said casually. "But I actually don't really blame you heiress." He turned to leave, but was stopped by a sentence.

"Well we have a small shipment coming in," Weiss said. "And my dad wants me to see the process of it unloading. He said that I could bring you guys. Any takers?"

"I want to," Yang said. "But if anything comes up," she held up her bandaged hand.

"And I'm staying with her," Ruby added in. Weiss bit her lip with disappointment riddling her face. She turned to Blake, and raised her eyebrows.

"I'll go," Blake said reluctantly. Weiss smiled.

"Great," she said.

"Ahem," Derek said loudly. "If I may, didn't you say your whole team?" Weiss nodded. "So there are two more spots available?" Weiss nodded again. "Mind if I join? I could be of assistance to the process of unloading."

"Noooooooooope," Weiss said.

"Why is that?"

"Because-," Weiss dead stopped what she was saying. Derek titled his head to the side. "I guess you can come," Weiss gave in.

"Excellent," he said. "I'll ask Monica to come with us."

"What's with the sudden change in heart D?" Yang asked. _Should I express my hopes? No. I don't want them to know._

"I feel bad that I'm the reason that Yang and Ruby can't attend," he lied. "So I figured I'll fill in the spaces." The others all nodded, and he left for his dorm. _Time to see if you'll show._

_Outside of Beacon: Night_

"This is a rental? Really?" Monica was going berserk. Derek, Monica, Weiss, and Blake had all gone out front to get into the car that Weiss' dad had rented for them. It was a high powered, four door, sports car that cost more then the others could ever hope to earn.

"Yeah," Weiss said. "He always gets something flashy. Does anyone here know how to drive." Derek looked over at Blake, and they shook their heads. Monica reached out, and grabbed the keys.

"I can drive," she said. "Why did you ask for a car if you didn't know if we could drive?"

"I assumed that Yang was coming," Weiss said, as though the answer was obvious. "She can drive." _That does make sense. _Derek looked at the seats, and hopped into the back. Weiss took shotgun, while Blake joined him in the back. Everyone buckled up, except for Derek. _A car crash isn't going to kill me. More likely that I'll kill someone else. _He quickly looked down to check if he had every spike retracted. After he was confirmed, then Monica started up the engine. It took everything in her willpower to not just go speeding off. But she kept it under control, and made her way to the docks. Derek just sat in back, slightly uncomfortable. _This car is a lot smaller then I'm accustomed too. _He just sat in silence, and waited for them to arrive.

"So how are things on your team?" Blake asked Derek.

"Good," he replied. "Gwen and Nathan are continuing their nose for adventure, while myself and Monica are more content to take in the Beacon experience. How about on your end little kitty?"

"Good," she replied simply. "I guess that we're getting along better. Even Weiss is starting to warm up to us."

"Like I have a choice," she called back.

"Aw you love us." Weiss blushed slightly, as though someone came to her mind. _I'll ask if Gwen can play her mind games later on. _Derek just made note of the subtle reaction, and then pretended not to notice.

"And what about you Blake?" Monica called back. "What do you think of your team."

"They're alright," she joked. Derek just eyed her carefully, and waited for another response. "We all get along quite well. I'm no exception."

"Do you love us?" Weiss asked, the mocking tone evident in her voice.

"Sure Weiss," Blake replied mockingly. "I love you guys."

"Hate to break up the love fest," Monica said. "But we're here." Everyone nodded, and exited the car.

_Schnee Dust Company Freighter_

The four of them walked up to the awaiting Schnee dust company crew. One of them saw the four of them, and called out for someone. A man in a white jacket and white jeans walked up to them.

"Hello Ms. Schnee," he greeted. "My name is Dirk, and I'm the supervisor for this. I thought you were in a team of all girls?" He was eyeing Derek suspiciously.

"One of them broke their hands," Weiss explained. "And the other stayed behind to help her. This is two of my other friends. Derek, and Monica. This is Blake." Dirk shook their hands, but kept a very suspicious eye on Derek.

"And what's your deal?" He asked. "You don't seem like a faunus."

"Well," Derek replied. "You are looking at the only Taituo-human hybrid in all of Remnant. I'm here to assist in any way I can."

"Why is that?" Dirk asked, now more suspicious then ever.

"I may of have accidentally broken their teammate's hand in sparring. My scales are like a layer of armor, and she took a good swing at my face." Dirk nodded, and looked over at some of the containers.

"Well I guess you can help take those to the trucks." Derek nodded, and extended his wings. Dirk now backed up in complete surprise. Derek just flew over, and easily hefted up the container on his own. He flew it over to the truck, and gently set it down. "What is with your friend?" Dirk asked. Weiss just shrugged.

"It's harder to be surprised once you get to know him," she replied. Derek continued to process, and he realized how fast that this process was going. _This is easy. Come on, where are you? You should be here sooner. _He kept up the unloading, and one of the trucks was full. He landed down, and his ear caught something. It was a faint humming, but it sounded very familiar to him. He quickly flew over to Dirk and his friends.

"Get all of the workers somewhere safe," he said quickly. "Unless, you're expecting an airship." Dirk stepped back in surprise.

"How did you-?" He started.

"I have enhanced hearing." Dirk nodded, and started to call out orders. Derek drew his sword and spear, and waited patiently. His friends followed suit, unsure of exactly what to expect.

_Airship_

"Looks like we got some expecting us," Adam said. "You're not going to like this." Torchwick looked out the window, and snarled. He turned to face the two girls that were in the back of the ship.

"Keep two of them occupied," he said. "We'll deal with the dragon and cat." The girls nodded, and poised themselves to fight.

_Docks_

The four of them watched carefully as the airships landed, their weapons poised to attack. Derek quickly channeled his fire to burn off his clothes, and extended his spikes. White Fang started to pour out of the airship, but they all just ignored the four of them.

"What is this?" Monica asked. "Why are they ignoring us?" The final airship touched down, and four people walked out of it. Derek's eyes narrowed upon seeing exactly who it was.

"Why hello again," Torchwick said, swinging his cane around. "It seems that we're meeting again on unfriendly terms." Adam walked out of the airship, and he was trailed by two girls. One wore a white dress while the other wore a red dress. The first one had claws, and the second one seemed to have blades attached to her heals. Torchwick raised up up his cane, and fired off a shot. Blake and Derek dove to one side, while Monica and Weiss took the other. Monica and Weiss stood to see the two girls standing in front of them.

"Should we go first Melanie?" The girl in the red dress asked.

"Let's wait and see what they do Miltia," she replied. Monica drew her spear, and extended it full length. Weiss stood up, and raised her sword. Weiss flew forward and swung around her sword. Melanie brought up her bladed shoe to stop the attack, and then swung her other shoe to Weiss' stomach. She quickly blocked the attack and started to flick around her wrist to try and see if she could throw off Melanie's pattern. She kept up, and Weiss was beginning to get frustrated.

Monica and Miltia were still circling each other. Finally, Monica jumped forward and swung around her spear. Miltia raised up her claw to block. She swung around her other claw, and Monica ducked out of the way. She sweeped her leg low, and Miltia jumped. She brought her claws in a downward strike, but Monica blocked. She quickly twirled around her spear, but Miltia blocked that too. Both fights were at a temporary stalemate.

Derek and Blake were both running from the constant barrage of shots from Torchwick. Blake saw an opportunity, and quickly shifted her Shroud so she could utilize it's ribbon. She threw it at one of the crates, and pulled herself forward. Torchwick fired off a shot, but Blake shadow'd {**A/N**} out of the way. She swung her sword down, but her attack was blocked by Adam's sword.

"Hello partner," he said. Blake grunted, and then switched her Shroud to it's katana form. She swung it around to his head, but he blocked. Adam pulled out his shotgun and fired at her head. Blake saw it coming, and ducked. She tried to sweep his legs out, but Adam jumped. He swung his sword in a downward strike, and Blake spun out of the way.

Torchwick looked over, and saw Derek waiting for his opportunity to enter into the Blake and Adam fight. He quickly raised up his cane, and fired off a shot. Derek didn't see it coming, until it was too late. The shot slammed into his chest, and Torchwick laughed maniacally. _Time to spoil his fun. _Derek sat up, and Torchwick backed up.

"That should of have killed you!" He said. Derek flew forward, and swung around his spear. Torchwick blocked the attack, and fired off another shot. Derek twisted his spear so it just went straight up in the air. He blew out some flames, but Torchwick ducked. Torchwick swung around his cane to Derek's unprotected side, but he just blocked it with his elbow spike. Torchwick fired off another shot, but Derek stood his ground. He looked over and saw Blake struggling against Adam.

"SWITCH!" He called out. Blake jumped over Adam, and Derek quickly rolled back from Torchwick. She swung around her sword and Torchwick blocked it. He swung around his cane, but Blake shadow'd to the other side of him. He spun around and swung his cane again. Blake shadow'd up, and swung her sword in a downward strike. Torchwick blocked, and fired off another shot.

Derek was standing a decent distance from Adam. He fired off a column of flames, and Adam absorbed the fire. He swung around his sword, and released the flames he had just gotten. _Why does everyone forget that I'm fire resistant? It's not a hard thing to remember. _Derek let the flames hit him, and then rushed forward. Adam swung around his sword, but it bounced off of Derek. He fired off his shotgun, but it bounced harmlessly off of his scales. Derek swung around his spear, and Adam swung his sword to meet it. Derek spun around again, and Adam dove back. He looked up and saw a bullhead with it's turret pointed at them.

"MOVE!" He yelled out to his friends. They all followed his eyes, and started to run out of the way. Derek fired off a column of flames, but it didn't reach the turret. The bullets came right by Derek, but he eventually took cover behind some boxes. He peeked out to see the four of them leaving in the airship. Before he could try and fly after them, the turret fired off again. _There's nothing I can do to get them. _As soon as he heard the silence left from the airship, he stepped around from the box. "DAMNIT!" He yelled out as he punched a hole in a nearby wall. "He got away again!" The workers slowly emerged from their hiding spots, and started to do inventory. Dirk walked up to the four of them.

"Well," he said. "I guess it could of have been worse if you didn't intervene. We'll put in a good word for you."

"Does it look like I care?" Derek asked. "He got away again!" Dirk shrugged, and resumed his inventory. Derek just extended his wings, and got ready to take off.

"I thought they'd shoot you down?" Monica asked. _Of course. _He angrily walked over to the car, and just waited for them to take off.

"My dad's not going to be happy," Weiss said.

"Your dad is the least of my worries," Blake said. "Derek's really mad now." The three of them nodded, and left for Beacon.

**End: For the A/N, in the directors commentary of RWBY, Kerry, Monty, and Miles said that Blake's semblance is called shadows. That's why I referred to it as shadow'd. Any other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	34. Chapter 34

Child of Grimm Ch. 34

It had been several days since the White Fang attacked the Schnee freighter. They had lost a lot of dust, but the crew was all safe. Derek had finally let his anger boil down, and he was thankful no one had been hurt. Ozpin had reinstated Blake, and everything was going great. But there was one serious thing coming up.

Derek was dragged into JNPR's dorm by Monica. He entered, and saw team JNPR, team LOOS, the rest of DRGN, and part of RWBY. Monica impatiently dragged him to the others, and sat him down on a chair.

"Why am I here?" Derek asked.

"A pressing issue," Yang replied. Derek looked around at the people in the room. _A pressing issue that doesn't involve all of RWBY? I can't wait to hear what Yang has for me. _"Is the reason that we're meeting clear?" Everyone but Derek nodded.

"Wait," he said, holding up his hand. "Am I the only one here that doesn't know what's going on?"

"Monica!" Weiss scolded her. "You were supposed to tell him."

"He only just got back from his flight," she replied. "I didn't have a chance too."

"Okay Derek," Yang said. "Tomorrow is Ruby's 16th birthday. Which means, I'm in charge of throwing her a sweet 16." _This is the pressing issue? I will never understand these four. _"So we're here to discuss plans. You are the people that'll be invited, and Qrow can't make it. Time to delegate the duties. Weiss, you and I will take care of organizing things. Blake, Monica, and Gwen, you are in charge of any entertainment. Keep it all legal. Nathan and JNPR, you're in charge of food. LOOS, you're in charge of making sure everything is hidden. You're the only dorm that Ruby doesn't enter. And Derek, you're in charge of getting Ruby outside for long enough for us to set up. Everything clear?" Everyone nodded, but Derek just felt confusion.

"Wait," he said. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. Offer her a flight. It is her birthday."

"You and I will have a bundled gift," Monica reassured him. _This is just great. _

"Alright," Weiss said. "We should all get going and get our stuff done."

"Come on Derek," Monica said as she grabbed his arm. "We need to pick out a gift." _Well tomorrow will be fun. Still, I owe it to Ruby as a friend to assist in her birthday. On the bright side, Yang's hand's healed up. _"I know exactly where to go," Monica told him. Derek nodded, and they left for a store.

_The Gun Shop: Vale_

"A gun shop?" Derek asked Monica. "Really?"

"Ruby's not like most girls," Monica said. "I'm sure we could find something here that she'd like."

"You're call. I'm mostly here for moral support." They both walked into the store, and started to look around. Derek's eyes were drawn to everything that was large, and looked like it might pack a punch. Monica looked for something that would be slightly more elegant, but still a powerful weapon. _This is foolish. Ruby loves Crescent Rose, and if we were to get anything else she just wouldn't use it. _Derek wandered off to the accessories area, and started to look around. There were a lot of clips and slings. _I think Monica's hopes were nothing more then foolish. _Derek stood to leave, but something immediately caught his eye. He picked up a weapon sling, but it had a large metal plate in the center of it. _It could work very easily in place of the belt. I wonder... _He stood up and found a store attendant.

"Hello," he said. "Is this available for a custom engraving?"

"Yes sir," the store attendant replied, with a not of nervousness included in his voice. Derek called Monica over, and whispered his idea to her. She eagerly nodded, and they paid for an engraving. After they were done, they made their way back to Beacon.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

"You want to do what?!" Nathan asked. Derek and Monica had just explained their idea to their teammates, and they both were more then a little taken aback.

"It really isn't much of an issue," Derek said. "You can rip one of these out, and I'll just regrow it."

"But that'll hurt, and-."

"And I no longer feel pain towards it. I've told you that before. Here's how it looks so far." Derek unrolled the sling, and let them admire what was carved. It was the silhouette of a person with a scythe, and two halves of a Beowolf in way of her slice. "I just wish to add one thing to go over the buckle. Monica's offered to paint it."

"Isn't that a little creepy?" Gwen asked.

"I don't think so," Monica said. "Then again, that could be a sign that Derek and I are a little too comfortable."

"I'm just going to get to work," Derek said. He extended the spikes on his back, and casually ripped out a fair amount. He let them rest in his hand for a moment while he regrew the others back. He then channeled heat to his hands, and felt the bones begin to soften. He looked over to his model, and flicked out one of his claws. He started to move it around very carefully, creating the pattern that he wanted. Every time the bones hardened, he blew a small line of flames to heat it up. He worked like this for a few hours, and then he finished.

"Done," he said triumphantly. He looked over to see that everyone had left, and he was sitting alone in the room. _Well now this is awkward. _Luckily, Monica walked into the room shortly after. "Good," he said. "I just finished up." He tossed over the piece that he had carved, and Monica looked at it.

"Nice work D," she said. "I'll get to work on painting it."

"Where'd you go anyway?"

"To get something to eat. We asked you, but you didn't reply." _Well I got more into that then I thought I would. _Monica set to work painting, and Derek took off for the cafeteria. _I'll just get something small, and hope that she will of have finished up by the time I get back. _

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. Everyone that had something to hide, was turning to LOOS' dorm so no one bothered Derek and Monica. She finished up, and wrapped the gift. All that was left was the next day, where Derek's main job would come into play.

_The Next Morning_

Derek awoke later on in the morning, and saw that his team was still sleeping. _Good. I might be able to get her out of there soon. _He walked out into the hall, and started to walk over to RWBY's dorm. Yang met him outside, and she started to give the rundown.

"Okay Derek," she said quietly. "You'll just tell her happy birthday and offer her a flight. We only need her gone for about 30 minutes. Think you can fly for that long?"

"You insult me," Derek said.

"Right. Okay, as soon as Ruby's up, we'll let you know. Then you'll have to be ready to act when we tell you that she's out of the dorm." Derek nodded, and went to return to his dorm. Yang quietly walked back into her dorm, and waited by her bedside. She had already gotten up Weiss and Blake, so Ruby was the only one still sleeping.

After about 30 minutes of waiting, Ruby got up and started to stretch. She jumped onto the ground, and was caught off guard by her team waiting for her.

"Happy birthday Ruby!" They called out in unison. Ruby jumped back in surprise from their yell. Yang wrapped her sister in a massive hug.

"I can't believe my baby sister is 16," she said in joy. "Aren't you excited?"

"Can't-breath," Ruby choked out. Yang backed away and let her sister breath. Yang and Weiss also hugged her, but with a lot less pressure then Yang applied. "I'm going to get changed," Ruby said. "Then I'm going to take a morning walk. Are you guys okay with that?" They all nodded eagerly. As soon as Ruby finished up changing and left, Yang pulled out her scroll.

_She's out_

_Done_

Derek was waiting patiently in the halls. At the message, he stood up and walked through the hall. He quickly caught enough to see Ruby in front of him.

"Ruby," he called out. "Happy birthday." Ruby turned to face him, and went in for a hug. "I'm still going to request that you don't hug me," he said. Ruby backed off slightly, and Derek took in a deep breath. "So you're 16 now, correct?"

"Yup," Ruby said.

"How about I take you for a flight?" Ruby nodded eagerly. "Might I recommend that we go outside first?" He lead her outside, and Olivia emerged from her room. She walked over to RWBY's dorm, and knocked on the door. Yang opened up, and Olivia nodded. The rest of LOOS walked up with some of the items, and everyone got to to work setting up. Nathan was tossing up cookie dough, and swinging around his axe to cut through it. JNPR was handling the other things. Ren was making pancakes, Jaune and Pyrrha were preparing the main courses, and Nora was just kind of wandering. Blake, Monica, and Gwen were all setting up separate areas. Weiss and Yang were wandering around, making sure everything was setup correctly. Eventually, both of them just stayed by an area. Yang was mesmerized by Nathan's careful slicing of the cookie dough. Weiss just started to hang around the entertainment area. Monica leaned over to Gwen, and whispered something into her ear.

"So Weiss," Gwen said. "You're helping organize this?"

"Yes," Weiss said.

"What did you get her?"

"All of my team contributed to one big gift." Weiss held up a bracelet. The bracelet had four charms of it. The first of which was Mytenaster, then Gambol Shroud then Ember Celica, and the largest of them was Crescent Rose. "She's so into weapons, we thought that it would be appropriate. You?"

"Since wolfy failed on his end," Gwen said with an accusatory glance at Nathan.

"IT SHOULD OF WORKED!" He yelled out.

"Anyway, we tacked on to Monica and D's gift. Which, I don't actually have access to right now. What made you want to organize this?"

"Don't know," Weiss replied. "I guess Yang asked me, and I said yes."

"I always assumed that you didn't like her that much."

"At first I wasn't a big fan, but she grows on you. Very similar to the others." Gwen nodded, and resumed her work.

"No other feelings towards her?" She asked.

"What are you-?"

"No other negative feelings," Gwen reassured her. Weiss seemed to lower her guard a little. She shook her head, but Gwen had already seen all she needed too. She excused herself for a moment, and whispered something to Monica. Soon, they had all finished. Yang checked the clock, and her face turned white.

"I may of have exaggerated to Derek the amount of time that it would take to setup," she said. "We still have about 15 minutes until he comes back."

"Gwen?" Monica asked. She sighed, and picked up her axe. She walked up to the window, and closed her eyes. She felt her semblance connect to the winds, and she changed it's direction three times.

"Done," Gwen replied. She sat down, and flipped around her axe a few times.

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"Relax blondie," Nathan said. "We talked about this before hand. If we wrapped up early, Gwen would change the direction of the wind three times. That'd be D's signal to circle back around. You aren't the only one who was thorough about this." Yang relaxed a little, and signaled for everyone to take their places.

_Beacon Academy: Halls_

"That was awesome!" Ruby beamed. "You took us all around the school. You even went fast at the end." _The ability to fly seems to get everyone all childlike. Then again, I guess Ruby isn't that far out of adolescence. _He kept walking her to her dorm, trying to keep quiet the whole time. "You normally don't let anyone fly around with you, what's with the sudden change of heart?"

"I understand that 16 is a fairly important year," Derek explained. "Figured I would break my rule, just this once. Here we are." Derek gestured to the door in front of them, and Ruby pulled out her scroll. He turned, and started to walk away. _I must make this as convincing as possible. _Derek could hear the door click open, and he turned to wait for the cheers.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY!" Everyone yelled. Ruby jumped back in surprise, and was wrapped up in a hug from Yang. Derek returned, and pat her on the shoulder.

"Did you know?" Ruby asked, after she pushed away from Yang.

"Of course," Derek replied. "My only duty was to keep you out for 15 minutes. Let us begin."

The party went on, and it was full of fun. The games that had been setup were everything from apple bobbing {which Nora was amazingly good at} to disassembling and reassembling a pistol {Ruby took home gold in that}. The food was excellent. Everything from Ren's pancakes, to Jaune's salad, to Pyrrha's steak, to Nathan's cookies. The afternoon was drawing to a close, and there was only one thing left to do.

"Alright," Yang boomed over everyone. "It's time for gifts. Ruby, pick a team to go first." Ruby looked around, overwhelmed by the sudden pressure of the decision. She swept her eyes across the room, and made a decision.

"LOOS," she said. Olivia looked over at Lou, and she tossed something her way. Ruby opened up the package, and smiled wide. She held up a necklace that had two fangs, four feathers, and one large spike. All of them were colored a greenish-red.

"Don't worry about the green," Stephen said. "It's devoid of all toxic components. Makes a great paint too."

"Thank you," Ruby called out. She quickly tried it on, and everyone was surprised by the beauty of it. _Something Ruby seemed to of have picked up on a lot faster then the rest of us. _

"Next team?" Yang asked. Ruby pointed over to JNPR. Pyrrha threw up a package, and Ruby caught it. She quickly opened it up, and saw a new cloak staring at her. Or at least, it only looked like a new cloak from their angle. Ruby flipped it around, and revealed the surprise on the back. Yang, Weiss, and Blake's emblem formed a triangle around Ruby's emblem. They all looked on in surprise as Ruby took off her own cloak, and put this one on.

"Thank you," she said to JNPR.

"Thank Jaune," Pyrrha said. "It was his idea." Jaune blushed, but accepted her praise. Ruby then looked over to DRGN, and Nathan tossed over their package. Ruby opened it up, and took a look at her new weapons sling. She carefully felt her fingers over the engraving of the person with the scythe. She lifted up her head, but Derek gestured for her to roll it over. Ruby did, and over the clip was her emblem, painted red. Ruby felt over it, and realized that it felt off.

"What is this made of?" Ruby asked. "It doesn't feel like metal."

"Oh," Derek said. "I decided to make it somewhat personal." He extended his spikes, and gestured to the emblem. Ruby smiled at this, and attached Crescent Rose to it, and slung it on her back.

"Thank you," she said.

"Thank D mostly," Monica said. "This was his idea." Derek just shrugged, and gestured for Ruby to finish up. Yang tossed over RWBY's gift, and Ruby eagerly opened it up. She stared at the charm bracelet, and then put it on.

"Thank you," she said. She reached over and wrapped up Yang and someone else in a hug. The others just watched and waited for her to stop. When Ruby did, she saw that it was Weiss that she had hugged, and her face was bright red. Ruby payed no mind, and just went around to her friends, leaving Weiss in a stunned silence.

The party concluded shortly after, and DRGN returned to their dorm.

"Weiss absolutely has a crush on Ruby," Gwen declared.

"Listen Gwen," Nathan said. "Normally, I accept the fact that your ability to read people is much better then mine. But this one isn't hard. You saw her face."

"Fair enough. But I think Ruby reciprocates those feelings." Derek just shrugged.

"What share do we have in the matter?" He asked.

"Me and wolfy have a bet with Jaune and Pyrrha," Gwen replied.

"Why did I wonder?" Monica just jumped onto her bed, and crashed. Gwen followed shortly, and Nathan didn't sleep far behind. Derek waited for them to sleep, and then walked over to the window. He reached out his hand, and filled it with fire. He quickly closed it, and closed his eyes.

"Some promises, I did keep." He opened up his hand, and it was filled with white petals. He watched them be blown out of his hand, and dance in the wind.

**End: I did not want to do a completely pointless chapter. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	35. Chapter 35

Child of Grimm Ch. 35

Derek was running through the woods. He didn't have his normal bulk, or his spikes. He was a lot smaller, and a lot younger. His age, was seven. He kept running, until he stumbled upon a small house. He ran over, and violently knocked on the door. It swung open, and he was greeted by a women. She had a pale face, and silver eyes. Her hair was concealed by a white cloak that she wore. He stood there, shaking slightly. His wings were to his sides in exhaustion, and his face was full of fear. The women didn't say anything, and just brought him inside. He sat down by the fire gratefully, and she went off to get him some hot chocolate and a stew. After he ate and drank, the woman decided to finally asked her questions.

"What's your name?" She said softly. He looked at her very cautiously, with his guard raised.

"Drake," he said. "Drake Flame. My parents called me Derek."

"Called?"

"They're gone." He just continued to eat, and remained in silence. "They're all gone. I can't stay here long. I've already put you in danger."

"It's fine," the woman reassured him. "I can take care of myself. How old are you?"

"Seven." He stood up to leave, but the woman put her hand on his shoulder.

"Just stay a little longer. I can't let you leave without any rest. Are you a faunus?"

"I don't know," he said as he looked at his arms. "They called me something else. They called me a Child of Grimm." The woman stared at him for a long time. "They're coming," he said ominously. "I can smell them." He drew his sword, and went to leave. The woman ran after him, but he moved surprisingly fast for someone who was almost passed out from exhaustion.

"Derek stop!" She called out. He stopped, and looked over at her.

"What did you call me?"

"If your parents called you Derek, then I assume that was your name." He just turned to keep running, but something stopped him.

"Go back to your house," he said.

"Why?" Derek could see Beowolves emerging from the trees.

"Run," she told him. "Get out of here." Derek was already starting to run, but then he realized that she wasn't running. He turned to see her holding a large scythe, and that she was twirling it around. She swung around her blade to cut off one of the Beowolf's legs, and then his stomach. She swung around her blade again to cut off another's head. She kept up her constant motion. Derek ran over, and cut down one of the Beowolf's with his sword. _I can't leave her here. _He fought beside her, and the Beowolves were starting to dwindle in number. _This is actually going well. _He turned to see four people emerge from the trees. All of them wore a similar outfit, completed by the logo on their back. _Oh no._

"You're coming with us Drake," one of them said. They all drew swords, and stepped forward.

"Get out of here Derek," the woman said. "Now." Derek turned, and just started to run. _I have to get out of here. I hope that she runs too. _Derek stole a glance back, and he stopped in his tracks. The four men surrounded the woman, and she raised up her scythe. The first one charged, and she planted her scythe in the ground and threw herself into the air. She swung it around into his back, and he collapsed. She landed, and swung around her scythe into the next man. The third one charged her, and she swung around her scythe into his back. The only remaining one, backed up.

"I suggest you run away and leave him alone," she told him.

"That's not happening miss," he replied. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a whistle. When he blew it, Beowolves started to emerge from the trees. The only remaining man started to drag off the bodies of his fallen comrades to behind the trees, while the woman started to twirl around her scythe. Derek was still too afraid of the men to intervene, but his confidence was building. Before he could make a move, he heard a gunshot ring out. He looked over to see that the man from earlier was in the trees with a rifle, and the woman had slowed down considerably. Derek started to run forward, but he was too slow. A Beowolf brought it's claws across her back, and she started to collapse.

"NO!" Derek yelled out. He extended his wings, and flew up into the air. He flew down by the remaining Beowolves, and started to cut through them. The whole time, he was aware that the woman that had just helped him was losing blood. He cut down the last one, and looked to see that the man had left. He ran over by her side, and checked for a pulse, something he had gotten quite good at.

"Derek," she said faintly. "The people that were chasing after you, they're not people that you want to mess with. Go in that direction," she said as she pointed to his left. "Someone will find you, and his name is Ozpin. He'll take care of you."

"Please don't go," he said sadly. "I don't want to lose someone else."

"It's okay Derek. My name is Summer, and I have a daughter." _Now you're making me feel even worse. _"Her name is Ruby. She'll be sent off to live with her uncle, don't worry. I know that you're too young, but so is she. I want you to find her when you're older, and watch out for her."

"I will," he promised.

"Go. Before they come back." Satisfied with her work, she closed her eyes.

"Mom?" A curious voice called out. "Mom, where are you?" Derek looked over at a young girl running over to where he was, and he took off.

Now the scene shifted. Derek was back in Summer's house, but it was present day Derek. He looked over and saw Summer standing by her fire.

"Hello Derek," she said. "It's been a long time."

"Is Ruby Rose your daughter?" Derek asked, not wanting to waste any time. Summer nodded. "I should of realized it sooner."

"I never told you of our last name, and I didn't think you'd remember."

"I always remembered what you did for me. Without you, I wouldn't be here today."

"What are you willing to keep Ruby safe?" Derek thought for a moment, but it didn't take him very long to think it through.

"If sacrificing my life is necessary to keep her safe, I'll do it. You gave up yours for me, and now I'm in debt to you." Summer nodded, and sat back in the chair.

"How is she doing?"

"Quite well. She's one of the more talented people, and she took an interest to your choice of weapons."

"I'm glad. Thank you for all that you've done for her."

"Do I tell her?"

"If you think it'd be necessary, then yes." Derek nodded, and began to wonder about what he'd do.

"Should I of have stayed?" He finally asked. It was a question that had been on his mind since that day.

"No," Summer replied. "You would of have been discovered, and you never would of have made it to Ozpin. You did the right thing." Derek nodded. "Our time is up. Goodbye Derek." The scene started to disappear into a flurry of white rose petals, and then Derek woke up. He looked around to see that his team was already up.

"Hey D," Nathan said. "You're up awfully late."

"Did I miss class?" Derek asked. Everyone laughed. "Is it the weekend already?"

"No D," Gwen replied. "All that we have today is sparring and that's in the afternoon." Derek relaxed slightly. He looked out the window, and saw Ruby walking around on campus. _If you think it'd be necessary, then yes. Maybe not absolutely, but she has a right to know. _

"I'll be back," Derek said. He quickly jumped out of the window, and landed on the ground nearby Ruby. He stopped and studied her for a moment. She was wearing her new cloak, necklace, bracelet, and sling. All of them looked quite good on her.

"Hey," he called out. Ruby turned around to face Derek.

"Hey D," she said.

"I see that you came out quite well from your birthday." Ruby nodded happily. "I have one more thing to show you." Ruby tilted her head in curiosity. Derek held out his hand, and let it fill with flames. He closed it, and closed his eyes. _Let the touch of Summer Rose be evident. _He opened up his hands, and let the white rose petals dance out of his hand. Ruby stepped back in surprise, and then realization hit her.

"My Mom?" She asked. "How did you know her?"

"I was seven years old," Derek started. "And I was still running for my life. I came upon a house, and I asked for some food and water. I was going to leave immediately after, but then she stopped me. I wish she hadn't done that. The White Fang caught up to me, and she fought them off. She didn't survive, and I made her one promise. That I would look after her daughter, and it took me until a few days ago to realize that you were that daughter."

"Why didn't you stay?" Ruby asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I didn't stay because your mother told me to leave. Ruby, I am now here to protect you in any way possible. I can promise you that." Ruby nodded, and reached out to hug him. Derek let her, and he slowly rubbed her back.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and overall feedback is always appreciated.**


	36. Chapter 36

Child of Grimm Ch. 36

**Someone in the comments asked why Derek is so ashamed of what he is. I have no idea how far they are, since they gave examples at the beginning of the story. But it's not him being ashamed. He hates what he is, but he understands that there is no alternative. He didn't get mad at Blake because it would of have served him no purpose. He's main philosophy is practicality.**

"How very disappointing you two. We expected so much more."

"Hey, I had to work with these mutts."

"Hey! We got the dust that you wanted. What's the issue?"

"We wanted the children as well."

"Hey, big bad scales absorbed a direct hit from my Candycane. I don't know what else to tell you."

"Do not try to justify yourself Roman. I hope that you can adjust to working with the twins, for I have many plans for them."

"They upheld their end of the deal, I don't see an issue."

"Very good Adam. And Roman?"

"Fine."

"Excellent. Get to work you two. We have much to plan."

_Beacon Academy: Sparing Class_

"And now it's time for our final fight," Goodwitch called out. "Drake Flame and Velvet Scarlatina." _Velvet Scarlatina? Has she fought at any point this year? _Derek took the stage and looked at his opponent. He knew very little about Velvet, other then that she was a favorite victim of CRDL until he stepped in.

"Make this one quick D," Nathan called out. "Keep rabbit stew on your mind."

"Nathan!" Gwen said at him.

"What? She hasn't fought at all this year." _That confirms one thing. _He looked over to his opponent, and saw that she was confident. _She's mostly a scholar, which means that she has researched me. _

"Begin!" Goodwitch signaled. Derek raised up his weapons, and started to fly forward. Velvet quickly rolled out of the way, and then looked over at him. She raised up her hand, and tree roots started to grow around his feet. He quickly burned them off, and ran at her again. Velvet jumped over him, and threw out a ball of water over his head. Derek started to steam it off, but that took away time. He ran forward at her again, but she stopped him by forming wind all around him. Derek growled in frustration. He blew off a column of flames, but Velvet soaked him again. _I can't get to her this way. _He started to flap his wings, and Velvet broke concentration for a second. Derek reached to his back, and ripped off some of his spikes. He quickly threw them at her. Velvet brought up a wall of flames and burned them down, but that gave Derek his opportunity. He ran forward, and brought the flat of his sword into her head. Velvet fell over, but then sprung up to her feet. Derek was temporarily caught of guard, and Velvet landed a solid blow to the side of his head. It didn't do much in way of damage, but it did throw him off mentally. _That should of knocked her out! _Derek quickly regained his senses, and swung around his fist into her head. Now Velvet fell to the ground, and struggled to get up.

"I must admit," Goodwitch said. "That was fairly close. But Ms. Scarlatina's aura is in the red, and class is dismissed." Derek rejoined his team to a lot of skeptical looks.

"How did the tiny rabbit faunus almost beat the big bad Drake?" Nathan asked.

"She didn't," Derek replied. "If you idiots had payed attention to anything other then the length of time it took me to defeat her, you'd realize that she approached me with a defensive strategy. At no point in time, did I suffer physical damage." The rest of his team thought for a moment.

"So that's how we beat you?" Monica asked. "We hose you down?"

"If you choose to look at it that way then yes. Water and fire don't mix, with fire being the loser of the two." They all nodded.

"Still," Gwen said. "Velvet Scarlatina kept it close."

"If you keep this up, you will all know just how hard I can hit." That got his team quiet as they walked to the cafeteria.

"Hey Derek," someone said from the corner. Derek turned in surprise to see Velvet standing right next to him.

"Where did you come from?" He asked in surprise.

"I can move quietly if I want to," she replied. "That was a good fight."

"It was. Better then when I fight these idiots."

"I'm your girlfriend!" Monica cried out.

"Sorry," Derek said. "Better then fighting these idiots, and one." Velvet laughed.

"I was wondering if you could help me," Velvet asked.

"I don't-."

"I just want to know how to fight with a weapon better. I have a good grasp on my other abilities, but I rarely fight with a weapon. I just want to improve my technique so I can stop being defensive." Derek thought for a long time.

"I'll help you," he finally said. "On one condition. If it turns out that my fighting style is too specialized for you, then we stop. Understood?" Velvet nodded eagerly. "Good. We'll meet every afternoon, starting today." Velvet again nodded.

"See you then." Velvet skipped off, and the others looked at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Why'd you say yes to her?" Monica asked. "And deny us?"

"Because she only wants to know how to use a weapon properly," Derek replied simply. "You guys wanted advanced classes, and that doesn't work with my Grimm nature. I can't even help the other Children of Grimm. Speaking of which, where is LOOS?"

"On a mission or something," Nathan replied. "They left earlier today." _Great. _DRGN walked into the cafeteria, and grabbed a tray of food. They quickly took their seats next to RWBY and JNPR.

"How's it going?" Yang asked them. "Since Derek almost lost to Velvet."

"I didn't almost lose!" Derek said angrily. "She played defensive, and so it took me longer."

"Sure thing," Ruby teased. "I'm sure that's exactly it."

"Take a look at my final aura count!"

"To please the dragon," Blake said. She pulled out her scroll, and then frowned. "His aura was almost full."

"I told you. I do not lose."

"Unless it's to Torchwick," Weiss said, while filing their nails. Derek narrowed his gaze at her. "It's a fair point," she replied, while still not looking up.

"You grow on people Weiss," Derek said. "But you still manage to get under my skin."

"Call it a habit." The lunch continued on with discussions or around the school gossip, which Derek just ignored. _Gossip still has yet to interest me. Maybe I need to spend more time with Monica and that'll change. _

"Any good rumors among you guys?" Yang asked DRGN. "Like, within the team."

"Well," Derek said impatiently. "Me and Monica are dating, and that's not a rumor. I don't let much get by me."

"It's true," Nathan said. "I tried to sneak out, and he pulled me in. That's not a rumor." Everyone just looked over at Derek cautiously.

"There are a lot of times that I wish LOOS was hear so they can help explain these things. Why are you so curious anyway? Why not wonder about everything going on amongst your team?"

"Because this is more fun," Yang said. Derek let out a long sigh. _I truly will never understand these four. _

"But is there anything going on amongst your team?" Monica asked eagerly.

"Don't think so." Derek looked down at his plate, and saw that he had one bite left. He quickly finished up, and stood to leave.

"If anyone needs me," he said. "I'll be in my room." They all nodded, and Derek left for his room.

He quickly hopped onto his bed, and popped open a book. He flipped through it, but lost interest. _I can do Grimm studies if I never once opened a book. _He started to do his assignment, but he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he called out. The door opened, and Derek looked over to see a familiar pair of silver eyes. "Hello Ruby. What brings you here?"

"You said if we needed you that you'd be here," Ruby replied. Derek nodded, and walked back to his bed. "You said that she helped you. How did she die?" Derek hesitated for a long time.

"A member of the White Fang shot her, and then a Beowolf caught her in the back. I killed the rest of the Beowolves, but I was too late." Ruby nodded, slightly comforted by the knowledge of how she died.

"Can you do the petals thing again?" Ruby asked. Derek nodded, and filled his hands with flames. When he opened it, there were white petals in it again. "How?"

"You have a similar ability. I guess your mother just left it with me in case we ever crossed paths." Ruby nodded, and she swung around her hand. The rose petals fell to the ground, and disappeared. Derek sat back in his bed, and awaited any more questions from Ruby.

"What do you think of Weiss?" Derek was not expecting that as a question.

"Her and I don't really see eye to eye," Derek said unevenly. "I guess she seems okay, but we don't get along. Why?"

"Just curious. I know what you think of the rest of my team, and-."

"And you think that you're going to take on the younger sister role in my life?" Ruby dead stopped. "Which is probably accurate, but I'm not a fool. What is the real reason that you asked me about Weiss?" Ruby took in a deep breath, and began.

_Elsewhere_

"What makes you think that she's his weakness?"

"We already know that he has a soft spot for Monica and Blake, but now we have reasons to believe that she's seen as equally valuable to us. I want you to see what you four can do."

"Don't worry, Red will be ours soon. If not, we can get one of the others. She has a weakness for all of the connections."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	37. Chapter 37

Child of Grimm Ch. 37

"Will this plan work?"

"Of course it will. Taituo's are extremely protective of their young. So long as the mutt upholds his end of the deal."

"Might I remind you who was in charge of the botched dust raid on the freighter?"

"Might I remind you who was in charge of holding Drake hostage."

"If you two continue to squabble, I will put Melanie and Miltia in charge. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Fine!"

"Good. Now all we have to do is draw them out."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

"And that's the reason," Ruby finished. Derek was sitting on his bed, casually tossing up a ball of fire in the air. He had started to do this right around the beginning of the story, but he kept up his attention the whole time. _This is the part of watching over her that I dislike._

"I'm not that good with advice like this," Derek said. "Even in my case, it was extremely circumstantial. I'm afraid that asking Monica would be of better use to you."

"Oh," Ruby said, slightly crestfallen. "That's fine."

"Listen Ruby," Derek said, dispersing the flames. "View me as a guardian, and not as an older sibling, and especially not as a mother. That will save you from a lot of disappointing conversations in the future." Ruby nodded. The door opened up, and the rest of DRGN walked in.

"Hey Ruby," Nathan said. "What brings you to our humble establishment?"

"Just wanted to talk with Derek," she said. "I'll be leaving now. I have something to think about." She exited the room, and the rest of DRGN took a long look at Derek.

"What?" He asked.

"Spill," Monica said.

"I think I'd rather not. Ruby's business is her's and her's alone, unless she chooses to share it with someone."

"Why does Ruby want to share with you anyway?" Gwen asked. Derek lit up a ball of fire, and closed his hand. _I've had to do this more times in the last 24 hours then I did for 8 years. _He opened it up, and let the white petals scatter. Everyone backed up.

"Whoa!" Nathan said, clearly alarmed. "That looks a lot like Ruby's semblance."

"Her mother once held a similar ability," Derek replied. "I guess she allowed me to do so as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"I knew her mother, for a very brief period of time. She saved my life, and her's was lost in the process. I promised that I would look out for her daughter, and here I am. She just wanted some advice from her new guardian, that's all." Derek laid back in his bed, and Monica walked over to him.

"Do you want to say anything more?" She asked softly. _I know that she's not trying to shake me down for more information._

"It's a role that I already took when I took a team," he replied simply. "I'm just keeping an old promise, that's all." Monica nodded, and Gwen went next to him now.

"Did Ruby say anything about us?" She asked.

"Your mind games are pointless when you know what to expect," Derek said dismissively. Gwen shrugged.

"Had to try."

"These are not the droids you are looking for," Nathan called out from his bed. The other three just looked at him. "Oh come on. Star-."

"We saw it together Nathan," Gwen chided him. "Just not a good reference."

"But we're calling them mind games!"

"They're more like mind puzzles. I lay out the pieces, and then go in."

"Is that how you got into this school?" Monica asked.

"Mostly. Me and Nathan were always paired back at Sanctum, so they got a good look at his fighting and my intelligence. A good thing too, otherwise they would of have realized that wolfy is dumb as a doorknob."

"I've saved your ass plenty of times," Nathan said.

"Will you two just kiss already!" Monica joked. Nathan looked over at Gwen, with fake longing inside of his eyes.

"How about no?" Gwen said.

"Aw you love me," Nathan said, putting his arm around Gwen. She calmly swung her elbow into his chest, getting a decently sized gasp from him. "Okay, too far."

"You think?" Derek said. Gwen smiled in satisfaction. _She can certainly hold her own. _

"Is there anything that she said about your setup?" Monica asked.

"Setup?"

"I mean, do we have to see her every morning? Do I get her for the weekends?" Derek shoved Monica. He looked over at the clock, and stood up.

"First off, very little about our 'setup'. Mostly questions about her mother, and where some of my personal views stood. Secondly, I have to go."

"Velvet?"

"Velvet." Derek stood up, and grabbed his weapons.

_Beacon Academy: Training Grounds_

Derek was waiting for Velvet. _Did I get the times wrong? _Suddenly, the rabbit faunus came running up to him.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said in a rushed manner. "I didn't finish up my assignment when I thought I would."

"It's fine," Derek replied. "You aren't that late. Onto the lesson." Derek picked up his weapons. "What is your weapon?" Velvet pulled out a staff. "Good." Derek sheathed his sword, and pointed at a dummy. "Show me how good your technique is." Velvet started to twirl around her staff, and brought it into the dummy. Derek observed carefully, and noticed that something seemed off. "What are you restraining?"

"Oh," Velvet said nervously. "I'm not using my semblance or my dust."

"Why is that?"

"You said technique."

"Does your technique include those two things?" Velvet nodded. "Then use it." Velvet faced the dummy, and completely changed her fighting stance. She started to swing around her staff, occasionally lifting herself off of the ground. Derek watched the display impressed. _I don't see the need for help. Unless..._

"Your technique is great," Derek said. "Time to test a theory of mine." Derek backed away from her, and raised up his spear. "Attack me." Velvet looked at him in surprise.

"What?" She said.

"Attack me," he repeated. "Your technique is flawless, so I need to see how you do against other people." Velvet nodded, and changed her stance again. She rushed him, and Derek spun out of the way. She stopped, and waited on him. Derek rushed her, and she froze his feet. He quickly shrugged it off, and Velvet doused him in water. Derek quickly rushed her again, and this time he just heated up his body. The roots she tried to raise up to his body just burned off. Derek ran up, and held his spear to her throat.

"I guess I need more help," she said sadly.

"Why did you change your stance?" He asked.

"I don't know."

"When I told you that you could use your semblance, you changed your stance. That is your natural fighting stance. You'll be more aggressive. Otherwise, you're fine. Try again." Velvet closed her eyes, and shifted her stance. Derek stood across from her, and waited. Velvet opened up her eyes, and rose a tree root from underneath her, and propelled herself forward. Derek dove out of the way, and looked back at her. "Okay," he said in a worried tone. "You seem fairly resourceful. I'll just assume that this worked and save us both a lot of time and aura." Velvet nodded eagerly.

"Did I do well?"

"Very much so. Let's just say that I don't believe we'll have to meet again." Velvet smiled.

"Bye Derek." She turned around and left for her dorm. _That was a crazy meeting. _He quickly left to return to his dorm, and got excited for the sleep he was about to get.

_Elsewhere_

"If we attack here, Ozpin will be forced to send them out. All we need, are people outside of the White Fang."

"We know some people. They'd be fairly cheap too."

"Very good Melanie. But what are we talking?"

"Not a whole lot, and not a whole lot of skill. But they'll serve their purpose."

"That'll work for me Militia. And as for you _boys, _do you get your role?"

"Of course we do, Cinder."

"All we need, is a little time."

"They'll buy it for you. Let's begin."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	38. Chapter 38

Child of Grimm Ch. 38

**Hey epicman, I always appreciate reviews but how about you take a grammar class. I can not PM you as you used a guest account, but do you think that I'm not setting shit up? Derek didn't beat Torchwick, nor did he beat Adam time number two. My character building hasn't been going that well, but I'm mad that you aren't convinced about Derek's personality change. No, I've pretty much not included the other teams but I am trying to fix that. And who has ever said straight as a rainbow? I'm genuinely curious there because I don't think that's an expression. And adding to that, I'm full and well willing to admit that I'm not a good enough writer to give them love interests outside of being gay, but I so far have no directly said that they will be gay yet. As to his personality, it's not really random changes {or so I think}. Certain things trigger a more negative reaction. If it seems random, then I apologize because that's me being a shitty writer. And finally, drama will come. Your review pisses me off because I've had to take time to get this thing ready and it had a complete lack of proper anything. Do not take this as me taking negative criticism poorly, and go read his review and realize how poorly structured it is. I hate the fact that you said "4/10 but I'm gonna keep reading it" in your thing. If you dislike the story that much, stop reading it. Sorry about my angry rant, but I can't PM him as I said. Now, please wait for the bottom for my take on annon's review because I don't want to tack more on here.**

"So what kind of security are we talking."

"Does it matter you idiot? You're here, and we paid you. Stop complaining, and get to work."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek woke up, and stretched out. He was finally starting to adjust to a more normal sleeping pattern, and that was beginning to feel good. It was another morning, where he started to dread Grimm studies. _LOOS isn't even back yet, which means I have to suffer alone. _He heard his scroll ping in an urgent manner, and he checked it.

_Emergency Operation. Get to the bullheads and bring your team._

_On my way._

"Alright sleepy heads," Derek said loudly. "Get up."

"Five more minutes mommy," Nathan groaned. Derek shoved him out of his bed. "Ow, D. What the fuck?"

"Emergency operation Nathan," Derek said, the annoyence obvious in his voice. "Get up."

"Okay I'm going. Go bother Monica to hurry up."

"Gladly." Derek looked over and saw that Gwen and Monica were both getting ready. _Another time. _He quickly threw off his pajama's, and then threw on his armor. _No time. _He looked over to see that all of them were ready, except for their jackets. "Put it on in the airship," Derek said impatiently. "Let's go." They nodded, and ran out to the bullheads.

_Bullhead_

Derek briefly greeted Ozpin, and then him and his team piled onto the bullhead. He looked over to see teams RWBY and JNPR on board, with several other hunters. _This is a main troop transport. What is going on?_

"Alright students," one of the hunters assigned to them yelled out. "Here's a brief summary. The town we're going to is a dust mining town. You 12 are here because Ozpin says that you're the only teams available that he trusts. We're going to land, and most of the hunters are going to one side. You 12 will be in charge of a single sector. You should be fine, but call if you need assistance or if someone else shows up."

"Is there an attack going on?" Derek asked.

"No. There was a big one, and they didn't take a whole lot. It seemed like a prefix to the big fight."

"What details do we have on the attackers?" Jaune called out.

"They all wear black suits, but I can't help you with anything else."

"Black suits?" Yang asked. "With red ties?"

"Yeah. What makes you so curious?"

"They're mercenaries. I've fought them before."

"Then we'll hope that the boss comes out of their hole." _Mercenaries. The general wardrobe suggests that they're one big group, which Cinder wouldn't commission. Time to see what this is about._

_Mining Village_

"This is your stop," the hunter called out. The students nodded, and stepped out. Derek looked around, and started to take note of their situations. He saw a spot where Ruby and Pyrrha could perch with their weapons. He quickly made note of that spot, and continued to look around. There were a few corridors that Gwen, Nathan, Ren, and Yang would all be suited to defend. He noted the more open areas that everyone else would fill quite well. _Perfect. _

"Okay," he said. "Shall I give some setup orders?"

"Why do you always do this?" Weiss asked. He shot her a look. "It's just a question."

"How about you stop questioning my eye and just listen." Weiss held up her hands. _I really hate her sometimes. _"Up there," Derek pointed to the top of a tower. "Is a prime snipers hide. Ruby, Pyrrha, I believe you two know where to go for now. Weiss, Jaune, you two be their eyes outside of the shooting. If it seems like we need help, call them down." The four of them nodded, and left for the hide. "We have a couple of close quarters fighting spaces. Yang, Ren, Gwen, Nathan, I want you to take those spots."

"Derek," Blake said. "I think that I would be better suited to go with them. I can be the eyes outside of that area."

"Fine," he said dismissively. The four of them left, and Derek looked at everyone that was left. "The rest of you will keep a lookout in the general area. I'll assist, but I don't think we should waste any energy doing anything stupid." They all nodded, and Derek wandered off to a semi-decent perch. Monica considered joining him, but instead chose to look elsewhere. Nora started to hop around, which slightly worried Derek. _Her grenades scare me, so I think that I'll pass on pointing anything out. I guess that we wait._

_Snipers Perch_

Ruby and Pyrrha had setup, with Weiss and Jaune right behind them. Both of them were talking about something, and they had completely tuned out Pyrrha and Ruby.

"Some girl time," Pyrrha said. Ruby smiled at her. "We don't ever seem to spend much time together outside of class."

"And I wouldn't call this spending time," Ruby replied. Pyrrha laughed, and took a look down her scope.

"Nothing out there. Anything you want to talk about?" Ruby hesitated, and then shook her head. "Why did you hesitate?"

"I don't know," Ruby grumbled.

"Does it have something to do with Weiss or Jaune?" Ruby looked back in fear at them, but they didn't seem to notice. "Then it does."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you looked back." Ruby let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled.

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha said slowly. "You don't want to get it off your chest?"

"I already have," Ruby replied dismissively. Pyrrha looked at her in surprise.

"To Yang?"

"To Derek," Ruby corrected. Pyrrha now looked at her with nothing but confusion on her face. "Derek knew my mother," Ruby said quickly. "He met her before she died, and he told her he would look after me." Pyrrha nodded, and looked back down her sights.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She finally asked. Ruby shook her head, and looked back down her sights. They both sat this way for a couple of minutes.

"This is boring," Ruby complained. "I want to see some action!"

"I'm with you," Pyrrha replied, keeping her tone neutral. She kept quiet again, and Ruby finally gave in.

"Okay," she said slowly. "Derek and I talked about Weiss." Now Pyrrha was interested.

"What exactly about Weiss?"

_Choke Points_

Yang was standing by a tree, swinging her fists into it to keep herself warmed up. Ren was just mediating on the ground. Gwen and Nathan were arguing over something. Blake was just standing up in a tree, waiting on anything to happen. Yang walked over to her tree, and looked up.

"Hey Blake," she said. "Do I need to call the fire department?" Blake smiled, and jumped down from her tree.

"What's up?" Blake asked.

"I just got bored. For a place that got attacked, there doesn't really seem to a whole lot happening." Blake nodded, and then looked out. "What was the urgency with this whole thing anyways?"

"It's a dust mining town. If it gets captured, a lot of bad things can follow. The initial attack seemed like a scouting report."

"I guess," Yang said, slightly defeated. She looked out into the open. "Where are they anyway?"

"I don't know," Blake replied in a puzzled manner. "It's like they're waiting for something."

_Main Clearing_

Derek was tossing a ball of flames into the air, and looking straight ahead. There was nothing going on around them, and he was getting annoyed. _This is taking too long. Someone should of have attacked by now. _He stretched out his wings, and flew up into the air. He quickly scanned the area, but he confirmed that no one was around._  
_

_Nearby_

"He's here," Adam said. "That means the others are here too. Get your men ready." Torchwick nodded and faced a group of White Fang.

"Get the whistles," he commanded. "And attack the other areas first. Make sure that you have them surrounded. As for you two," Torchwick faced the twins. "Keep the dragon busy for now." They nodded, and poised themselves for attack.

_Main Clearing_

Derek landed and looked around.

"Anything?" Monica asked.

"No," he replied. "Which is concerning. Why wait this long for a counter attack?" Derek's ears perked up at a low sound humming sound. "What is that?" Monica looked around them.

"What's what?"

"You don't hear that?" Monica shook her head. _Wait a minute. I've heard this whistle. Oh no. _"White Fang," he said. "Get ready for a fight. Call the others and make sure they're okay." Monica nodded, and pulled out her scroll. Derek looked out into the trees and raised up his weapons. _Come out and fight. _

"I understand," Monica said into her scroll. She closed it, and looked at Derek. "They're surrounded by Beowolves," she explained.

"I expected as much. That sound, is a Grimm whistle. Grimm hear it, and they know that there is someone to fight. I guess that I can hear it because I'm a Child of Grimm." Derek looked out into the woods again, and heard the whistle again. _It sounds closer. _A Beowolf leapt from the forest, and Nora easily brought it down. She looked up at them happily, but then more Beowolves started to run out of the woods. Derek blew out a stream of flames, and then swung around his sword to meet one of the Beowolves. He quickly got separated from Monica and Nora, and even he lost sight of everyone else even faster. _Damnit. This has to be the plan. _

"Keep fighting!" He yelled out. He turned to face a Beowolf, but a bullet quickly went through it's chest. He looked over and saw Pyrrha with her riffle pointed in his direction. He gave her a thumbs up, and kept up fighting.

_Nearby_

"You're up," Torchwick said. The twins nodded, and ran out into the open.

_Derek_

He cut down another Beowolf, and the others were starting to back up. _Get away you beasts. _He puffed out some flames and swung around his spear again. _Why are they forming a circle around me? _He swung around his spear, but none of them bit.

"I told you he was here Melanie," someone behind him said.

"I agreed with you Miltia," someone replied. _These two again! _Derek turned to see the twins standing right behind him.

"You can't win," he said threateningly. "Turn back."

"We're not here to beat you," Miltia said.

"We're here to distract you," Melanie replied. _Why would they tell me this? _Miltia ran at him, and swung around her claws. Derek easily blocked, but Melanie brought a kick into his chest. His armor absorbed the blow, but he still stumbled back. He quickly sheathed his sword and spear, and extended his claws. _This is an easier method of fighting them. _Miltia charged him again, and Derek blocked. Melanie swung around her shoe, but this time Derek was prepared. Melanie and Miltia started to swing around their weapons in small arcs, making him move quickly. He finally saw a break in their pattern, and he swung both of his fists into their chests. They fell back, and he looked at them satisfied. Before he could finish them off, something hit his back. Before he could turn to face it, he heard a familiar hissing sound.

"Ah shit," he said. He felt a dust shot slam into his back, but the explosion doubled. Derek sailed through the air, and landed with a hard thud. He tried to get up, but found himself hobbled. He could make out the figure of four people standing right in front of him.

"I told you that would work," one of them said. "Now, you two go and fetch the electric one. Adam's taking care of the kitty, and I'm getting Red. You," he faced the man next to him. "Keep him occupied. He's weak enough now." The man nodded, and drew his sword. The other three walked off, and Derek shakily got to his feet. He tried to flex his wings, but he could already tell something had broken inside of them. _I can't fly now. I need to get to the others. _He looked over, and saw that the man was still waiting, his leveled.

"Get out of my way," Derek said. He blew out a column of flames, but even that was weakened. The man easily dodged, and just waited again.

"Make me," he said. Derek ran forward, and swung around his sword.

_Snipers Hide_

Weiss cut off another White Fang from their tower, and then quickly had to cut off another. Jaune was keeping them occupied on his side, while Pyrrha and Ruby kept up their shooting.

"There are too many," Weiss said. "I don't know how many more we can keep off." Ruby nodded, and stood up.

"Then we jump down," she replied. "Help the others from the ground."

"Into the fray?" Jaune asked. "Are you crazy?" Before Ruby could answer, they all heard a loud hiss. Before anyone could react, something slammed into the side of their building and sent Jaune and Weiss tumbling down.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled out.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha followed. Before they could do anything, an airship rose to be level with them. Standing on top of it, was Torchwick.

"Well hello Red," he said. "And Red's friend. Did I hurt them? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Ruby pulled back her scythe and Pyrrha raised up her spear. "Oh no need for that. I promise, I'll leave and no one has to get hurt, so long as you come with me."

"Try me," Ruby replied.

"Wrong answer," Torchwick said. Behind him, four more airships rose up to face them. "Let's try that again." Pyrrha swung around her riffle to shoot, but Torchwick got off his shot first. Pyrrha was thrown from the tower, and Ruby made her decision. She jumped up and swung around Crescent Rose to hit him. Torchwick raised up his cane and stopped her strike. Ruby fired off a shot, but Torchwick held his ground. She fired off a shot at the ground, and dove back.

"Take it easy Red," he said angrily. "You could take this whole thing down." Ruby lowered Crescent Rose at the airship, and left her finger on the trigger threateningly. "I would fire off a shot, but I would take this down as well. Now." Ruby didn't have time to turn before one of the White Fang swung his elbow into the back of her head. Ruby stumbled forward, and Torchwick brought his cane into her chin. Ruby fell over, and blacked out.

"Tie her up," Torchwick said impatiently. "And get her in." The White Fang nodded, and went to work.

_Choke Points_

Yang swung around her fist into another White Fang's chin. She looked over and saw that her friends were holding up well. Blake swung around Shroud and cut down one of the White Fang. She turned in time to see another one of the White Fang fall from Ren's weapons. Nathan and Gwen were back to back, swinging around violent winds of ice into everyone that came near. Yang smiled in satisfaction. If everyone was doing this well, they would drive everyone out in no time.

"I must say," someone said from the trees. "You five are doing good work against my men." Someone stepped out from the shadows, and Blake's expression hardened.

"Adam," she growled.

"Hello again Blake. Would you mind coming with me?" Blake jumped forward and he danced out of the way. "I'll take that as a no. Get them." Several men emerged from the trees, but all of them were accompanied by Ursai. The five students backed away, and Adam smiled. "Take care of the other four," he ordered. "I'll take on my partner." He drew his sword, and charged her. The men all rushed the students, flanked by two Ursai a piece. Yang swung around her fist into one of them, but an Ursa knocked her away from him. She quickly stood up, and noticed that three men were around her.

"Wanna fight me without your guard dogs?" She asked. Two of the Ursai pounced at her, and she jumped out of the way. "I guess that's a no."

Blake and Adam circled each other, waiting for one of them to make a move. Adam finally fired off a shot from his shotgun, and Blake just ducked under it. She jumped up in the air, and swung her sword downwards. Adam rolled out of the way of the attack, and swung the but of his shotgun into her stomach. Blake shadow'd out of the way, and swung around her sword into his leg. Adam jumped up, and swung his sword at her head. They locked in place for moment, and just stared each other down.

"Give up," Blake said. "I will beat you."

"I feel like it would be close," he replied. "But I don't want to waste the energy." Blake felt something slam into her side, and she looked up to see an Ursa right above her. She struggled to get it off of her, but a quick blow to her head knocked her out. Adam stood over her with the but of his shotgun raised up. He checked to see if she was awake, and then signaled for the Ursa to get off of her. He quickly threw her on top of the Ursa, and tied her down.

"Get moving," he told one of his fighters. "Everyone else will keep them," he said pointing to the other four. "Occupied. Until we get word from the other two." The White Fang member nodded, and lead the Ursa off.

_Main Clearing: Monica_

She swung around her spear into another Beowolf. There were so many of them, that she was starting to have issues in keeping them under control. They started to back away from her, and Monica looked at them in confusion.

"It's her again," someone said from just behind the Beowolves.

"We can take her Miltia," someone else replied. Miltia? Oh she knew who they were. The twins emerged from behind the Beowolves, and looked at her. Monica fired off a bolt of lightning, but the twins easily dodged.

"Nice shot," Miltia said.

"But not nice enough," Melanie finished. The twins rushed her, and swung around their weapons. Monica ducked under Miltia's claws, and blocked Melanie's blades with her spear. She swung around the but of her spear into Miltia's stomach, but she quickly felt a slash across her leg from Melanie's shoes. She quickly rolled out of the way, and looked at the two twins. She had to fight them one at a time, and that was the only way to beat them. She rushed forward, and slammed her spear into the ground. She propelled herself up in the air, and kicked Melanie in the head. She spun around and blocked Miltia's claws. She quickly fired off a bolt of lightning at the ground, and sent her flying back. Before she could turn to face Melanie, she felt a strong kick to her head. She stumbled forward, and Miltia swung her to the ground. They both looked at her, and gestured to one of the Beowolf's. They quickly strapped her to it's back, and sent her off.

"I hope the other two upheld their deal," Miltia said.

"The goal was to get one," Melanie replied. "What does it matter? We'll get payed." The twins left for the woods.

_Main Clearing: Derek_

He was kneeling on the ground, panting. He looked up to see the swordsman smiling casually, and just looking down at him.

"What's the matter Drake?" He asked. "Can't fight suddenly?" _I can't hit him with my flames, and I can't fly. I'm forced to rely on my technique as a swordsman, and he's better. I still have my scales. _Derek stood up, and leveled his sword again. The swordsman smiled, and rushed him. Derek blocked the attack, and spun around. He tried to swing his spear at his opponents feet, but the swordsman jumped over it easily. He swung around his sword into Derek's chest, and Derek couldn't move out of the way fast enough. He felt the impact and staggered back. Something felt wrong to him though. He looked down, and saw that several of his scales had broken off. _What? How is this possible. _The swordsman swung his sword into Derek's chest again, and Derek collapsed. He started to stand up, and he quickly blew out a column of flames, which forced the swordsman to back up. But he knew that he had Derek in a good spot, and he planned to capitalize. Suddenly, his scroll started to ring. He opened it up, not paying attention to Derek._  
_

"I almost have him," he said angrily. Derek rushed forward, but the swordsman spun out of the way. "I can take him. Fine!" The swordsman put away his scroll. "Another time Drake." He quickly ran off, and Derek tried to run after him. He found himself unable too, and he fell to the ground again. He looked around him to see all of the White Fang and Beowolves running off. _Why are they running? They have us right where they want us. _Derek tried to stand again, but now he collapsed and blacked out.

**End: I will now address the other review I got. Ruby's mother is dead in this story as well, and I stated that clearly. Derek despises what he is, and he's tried everything he could to conceal it. Telling everyone to call him Drake was more of a move of giving up then anything else. He became sort of resigned to his fate, so he gave up on being Derek and went the Drake route. I took a lot of liberties with the way he concealed his wings, and I'm surprised that you're the first person to call me out on it. As to the White Fang bulking him up, they didn't think he would escape and Adam was still convinced that he could get Derek to work with him. As to Derek's op appearance, I'm addressing that as you read. I appreciate you pointing some things out, but I am in the process of correcting those errors. But I hope that you see where I am coming from in terms of epicman's review, and why it makes me slightly angry. Also, that was the longest sentence {I had to get that in}. If you have anything else to say leave your questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback.**


	39. Chapter 39

Child of Grimm Ch. 39

**I want to say that in terms of my responses to the two reviews, I will always defend decisions that I make if they are intentional. If someone brings forth something that they think is because of weak writing, then I will gladly accept that criticism. But if you say that something bothers you, and it was a more intentional plot thing or me very liberally using something on purpose, I will point that out. I will try to fix the mistakes plot wise, or writing wise as much as I can, but I can only do so much in way of breaking free of how good of a writer I am. I will never claim that I am the best writer on this website, and I'm doing what I can. Sorry about the last three authors notes and their lengths, but I felt as though I had to address what came up, and I will continue to do as such. It is easier if people leave reviews outside of a guest account, because I can then send them PM's and save some people's time.**

"You have the three of them in your custody?"

"Yes Cinder."

"Excellent. What of Drake?"

"We didn't have time. Though, Bush Ido is a much better swordsman then him, and the blast seemed to take down a lot of his aura."

"So you had to leave because of time constraints? That's good news. I expect you here with them soon Torchwick."

"Of course Cinder."

_Beacon Academy: Hospital Wing_

Derek's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked around him to see Gwen, Nathan, Weiss, Yang, and JNPR. He sat up slowly, and everyone looked over at him. He looked around to see a very large, white room with several beds. He could tell that he was hooked up to an iv, and some monitors.

"Where am I?" He said groggily. "And where is everyone?"

"You're in the medical wing of Beacon," Gwen answered. "What do you remember?" Derek paused for a long time, and let the memories come back to him.

"We fought the White Fang," Derek replied. "And I got separated from you. I was attacked by the Malachite twins, and then by someone else. I think Torchwick was responsible for the second attack, and then I fought a swordsman. The blast disabled my wings I think." Derek tried to bring them around, but winced in pain. "Which I can tell that it still is. And then-." Derek paused, and tried to sort out the memories. "I think he defeated me." Derek looked down at his chest, and felt over the skin that was covered up by his scales. "What the hell happened?" The others looked at each other grimly.

"They took us by surprise," Nathan finally said. "The sniping team, the choke point team, and your team were cut off from each other. We really didn't know what was going on. The sniper's were ambushed by Torchwick, we were ambushed by Adam, and you were ambushed by the twins."

"That doesn't fully answer my question," Derek said, looking around at the people in front of him.

"The ambushes were planned for a reason," Gwen said slowly. "They were targeting us for specific reasons."

"I don't-."

"They got Ruby," Weiss finally said. "They took her."

"And Blake," Yang added in. Derek looked at the faces, and he could tell they were holding something back.

"They took Monica too," Derek finally said. "Didn't they." Everyone nodded. Derek's expression turned dark and full of hate. _I know what you just tried to do. _"This is my fault," he said.

"Don't say that D," Nathan said. "We all lost-."

"No," he replied. "I mean I'm the reason they did this. I'm with Monica, I've expressed how I feel about Blake, and I just told Ruby of a promise I made her mother a long time ago." Yang looked up at him with shock in her eyes. "Another time. These are all abductions that specifically target people I'm close to. Does that seem like a coincidence to any of you?" They all shook their heads. "And to make it worse, I separated all of them, and worse I separated them from most of the group. I screwed up as a leader, and now I'm paying for it." Everyone looked at him, and they could see how torn he was feeling.

"We failed them too," Pyrrha said. "It's not just on you. You have to stop putting so much pressure on yourself."

"I don't have much of a choice," Derek replied angrily. "I am the sole reason that the White Fang are targeting all of you, and I always thought that I could protect you so I never thought much of it. But clearly my riddle was just solved on how to fight me." He tried to lift up his wings again, but once again they felt hurt. "And it bothers me."

"So you're not the titan anymore," Jaune said. "Big deal. I never was a titan. You just have to get used to a new way of fighting." Derek sighed, and flagged down a nurse.

"How long will I be in here?" He asked her.

"Depends," she replied. "All of your broken, uh, spikes grew back quickly. We're anticipating something similar for your wings, as long as you keep them in open space. As to your scales, we really have nothing to go off of. We've never had the issue of a second skin breaking off of someone. It might grow like bones, or it might grow like skin, or it might be completely different."

"What's my aura level?" The nurse pulled out a scroll, and handed it to him. He opened it up, and frowned. The bar was well into the yellow, and only just about the red.

"So now you have to be a lot more cautious," the nurse said. "You'll get out when you heal all of your physical injuries."

"I have to help find them though."

"Not like this you can't." Derek tried to stand up, but he immediately fell over. "Like you could walk with your aura this low anyway." Derek snarled at the nurse, and she just shrugged. "I suggest that you get used to me giving the orders, because we'll have to deal with each other for a while." Derek just let his head hit the pillows.

"Well it seems like you're in good hands," Nathan said sarcastically. "So we're going to leave now."

"Do everything that you can to find them," Derek said. "And bring me everything that you can." They all nodded, and left the room.

"You two held it together well," Gwen praised Yang and Weiss on the way out.

"I didn't want to send him into any sort of a fit," Yang replied, tears welling in her eyes. "Time to start searching."

Derek leaned back on the bed, and tried to summon up a ball of fire.

"No fire," the nurse chided him. Derek grumbled, and put it away. _Now I will have nothing to distract me. Unless..._

"If you're going to give me orders," Derek replied. "At least tell me your name."

"It's Roxanne, and you can just call me Roxy." Derek nodded appreciatively, and opened up his scroll. _Maybe I can find something to help them._

_Unknown Location_

Ruby's eyes slowly opened up. She could tell that she was lying on a padded ground, and that the door was closed. She looked around some more to see that all of the pads were white. It looked like an insane asylum to her. She quickly stood up, and walked up to the door.

"Hello?" She yelled outside of it. "Is anyone there?"

"Ruby?" Someone called from across from her. "Ruby is that you?"

"Who are you?" Ruby called out skeptically.

"It's Monica," she replied. "And Blake's here too."

"What's going on?"

"Well-."

"Allow me," someone called from further down the hall. Ruby could hear her door unlocking, and she backed away from it. When it opened up, she saw Torchwick standing in front of her. She started to run forward, but she quickly seized up.

"Not so fast Red," Torchwick taunted. "If you had bothered to check your wardrobe, you would notice some subtle adjustments." Ruby looked down at two metal bands that were around her wrists. She checked down and saw that her ankles and waist received a similar treatment. "They're all prone to electricity, and if you do anything that we don't like... I think you get the idea." Ruby backed away from him, but she kept her stare right at him.

"Why are we here?" She asked.

"Because you three," Torchwick swung around his cane. "Are the closest people to the dragon. And since the brilliant decision making of Adam led to enhancing his abilities even more, we have to resort to something else. At the same time, we know how to beat him. You three are just a little insurance to gain his cooperation." Ruby tired to activate her semblance, but found herself unable too. "And one thing I forgot to mention, those little items are infused with a very powerful little dust crystal. It ensures that none of you can use your semblance, thus causing no issues." Ruby looked at him angrily, but she knew there was nothing that she could do about it. "Until next time Red." Torchwick exited the room, and closed the door. Ruby ran up to the door, and looked at where she thought the other two cells were. She could see Monica with her head in her hands, and Blake reading a book. Ruby sat down, and tried to formulate a plan.

_Outside the Cells_

"Make sure that we have soldiers loyal to you watching them," Torchwick scolded Adam.

"The guards are there if anyone else attacks," Adam replied angrily. "Who do we have good enough to stop Drake?"

"I don't know, find someone!"

"Gentleman," a man said from behind them. Both of them turned to see a man with a black fu man chu, and long black hair and green eyes. "I was told by the twins that I should come here."

"Why is that, _Bush_?" Torchwick said, with a tone of bitterness at his name.

"To watch the prisoners of course," he replied calmly. "The twins suggested it since I was able to keep him at bay."

"With the assistance of my explosion!"

"Boys, boys," someone said from behind them. All of them backed up at the sight of Cinder approaching them, with the Malachite twins flanking her. "No need for the confusion. Bush will be watching the prisoner, along with one of my... New employee."

"Who will that be?" Adam asked.

"Xander!" A man walked out from the shadows. He had spiked up red hair, and yellow eyes. Half of his face was scared.

"Pleased to make you acquaintance," he said, a crazy look in his eyes.

"Okay who is he," Torchwick said, clearly not amused.

"A dust expert," Cinder replied. "Similar to myself, but he specializes in a much more... Explosive, form of dust. He'll be our main ticket to getting Drake's scales weak, if not off entirely."

"So long as Drake's his problem," Adam replied.

"He will be. But you two will have much to worry about. Follow me." Adam and Torchwick reluctantly trailed behind Cinder and the twins, while Xander and Bush waited by each other.

**End: I just now {as I checked my mail} crossed 25 favorites so once again, another thank you. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated and I will answer them honestly {as evident by my previous three A/N's}**


	40. Chapter 40

Child of Grimm Ch. 40

**Forty chapters! I had a flurry of reviews from one guy, so I'll answer the ones I can. One, Yang ambushing Lupa assisted in her being weakened, but Derek has rock hard scales over his body so his blow hurts a little bit more. As to why LOOS all agreed so readily, everything about how they joined seemed suspicious and here is another one of them telling them what they thought was true. That's why they agreed so quickly.**

Derek was lying in the hospital bed, rolling around impatiently. _I've been stuck here for almost a full day, and I'm providing no help to my team! _

"Stop rolling around," Roxanne called out. "If you keep it up, you could re-damage your wings." Derek brought his fist up, and raised it at the wall. "Don't, even, think about it." Derek put his fist down, and pulled out his scroll again. _There has to be something here! _

"Come on in," Roxanne told someone at the door. Derek looked up to see Yang and Nathan walking over to him.

"Sup D," Nathan said. "We decided to bring you what we could, and keep you company." Derek looked over at Yang, and saw how red her eyes were. Derek tried to soften his expression, but it was difficult. He had been hurting in more ways then just the physical pain.

"Derek," Yang said softly. "What exactly did you promise to my sister?" Derek took in a deep breath and held out his hand. He quickly gestured for Nathan to stand between him and the nurse. He complied, and Derek filled up his hand with a ball of flames. _One more time Summer, for Yang. _He opened up his hand, and let the white petals fall out. Yang just tracked them with her eyes, and looked at him. "You knew Summer?" Derek nodded. "How?"

"She pointed me in the direction of Ozpin," Derek replied. "And she payed the ultimate price for it. I felt horrible, because it was just one more person that I had lost. She told me to promise her that I would watch out for her daughter. As soon as I figured out that Ruby Rose was that daughter, I promised to watch out for her." Yang nodded sadly. "I'm sorry that I did this to your sister."

"You didn't abduct her," Yang replied.

"Yang," Derek said slowly. "I know that there must be some part of you that hates me." Yang looked at him, trying to keep her expression neutral. "I know that, because I hate myself for this too. I've gone through most of my life hating what I am, trying to create a new identity, throwing away Drake. I thought that I had lost that, but it was all of you that gave me the confidence to keep up being Derek. I was beginning to think of myself in a different light. Maybe I wasn't the monster that I thought I was. But this..." Derek exhaled loudly. "I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for this." Yang gently wrapped her arms around him, which must of have been difficult for Yang to do anything gently.

"I don't hate you," she whispered. "I don't want you to hate yourself. You're not a monster, and I want you to believe that." Derek smiled at Yang.

"You really did take over the mother role in her life, didn't you?"

"I didn't have much of a choice. I wanted to protect my baby sister."

"Ahem," Nathan coughed loudly. "I'm here too guys, and I'd rather not join in on the love fest."

"You and Gwen practically have sex in our room!" Derek cried out.

"We argue," Nathan replied, completely unflustered. "We already have established that we don't think of each other in that way."

"What's up with the serious answer?" Nathan shrugged.

"Not my type," he replied simply. "But that's not all we bring." Nathan dumped a load of files onto his bed. "We brought presents." Derek opened one up, and saw that there was a full briefing on what was known about Torchwick. "Physical copies of everything that we have on them. I suggest you skip Cereal's file."

"Cereal?" Derek asked. "Do you mean Cinder?"

"Whatever. Anyway, all we know about her is really what you've provided. She was so behind the scenes that you brought the first bit on intel on her." Derek nodded, and started to search through it. Yang and Nathan also picked up some files, and began to help him.

_Unknown Location_

Monica was doing all that she could to restrain from crying. She was afraid of the people that captured her, and she was worried about what they could do to her. The metal cuffs restrained her from being able to use her semblance, and it also ensured that the electricity did effect her. She had no solution to this problem. Above all else, she was worried about Derek. They learned to how to fight him according to Torchwick. She walked up to the front of her cell, and looked out.

"Girls," she called out. Blake and Ruby both walked up to the front of their cells. "What do you think they're going to do?"

"Nothing for now," Blake replied. "They'll keep us locked up, and when they need us for threats they'll use us."

"Oh," Ruby said worriedly. "Is that what they do?"

"That's what they did. I don't know if they still do things that way." Monica placed her head on the wall.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, the fear evident in her tone.

"For now," Blake said. "Nothing. Unless you can think of a way out of this cuffs." Monica looked at the metal bars on her cell, and had an idea. She swung her wrist as hard as she could against it, but she immediately recoiled in pain. She could already tell that something had busted.

"I think we should avoid doing that," Monica said, gripping her wrist. "I think I broke something."

"Guard," Blake called out. The door opened up, and two men walked in. One of them was easily identified by his heavy facial hair, and the other by his scarred face. "My friend hurt her wrist."

"And?" The scarred man asked. "Is that our problem."

"I know that you're a mercenary here Xander," mustache replied. "But as a member of the White Fang, we give medical attention to our prisoners."

"You guys are bitches, you know that Bush?" Bush ignored him, and walked over to Blake's cell.

"At the very least," he said. "Tell me which friend."

"It was Monica," Blake replied. Bush nodded, and walked over to her cell. He opened up the door, and Monica continued to hold onto her wrist.

"Give it to me," he said. Monica gingerly held out her hand, and Bush pushed against it. Monica cried out. "Time to speed up the recovery process." Bush placed one hand on one side of her wrist, and one on her hand.

"What are you going to do?" Monica asked fearfully.

"This will hurt," Bush replied. "But it should aid the process."

"Wha-AAAH!" Monica yelled out as Bush pushed with both of his hands on her wrist. Monica fell to the ground, and Bush went to exit the cell.

"The pain will pass," he said simply. "I have re-set your bones. You'll heal up in a shorter period of time, but the pain will feel bad for a minute." He closed the cell and went to exit the prison. "Come on Xander, back to watch." Xander closed the door behind them, and Monica still clenched her wrist tightly.

"Are you okay?" Ruby yelled out.

"My wrist fucking hurts!" She called out.

"At least it'll heal faster."

"Not much consolation right now!"

_Outside of the prison_

Xander and Bush were standing next to each other. Bush was content with standing in silence, but it was clear that Xander wasn't.

"So what are you packing?" He asked. Bush gave him a cold stare. "What kind of weapon you got?"

"A sword," Bush said impatiently. Xander waited for a moment, but realized nothing else was coming.

"A sword and?" Xander left the last part open.

"It's just a sword."

"Just a sword? In this day and age? How did you keep up with the dragon?"

"I'm good," he said angrily.

"If you say so," Xander said, a note of skepticism in the voice.

"What the hell do you have mad man?" Bush asked, turning to face Xander.

"Thought you'd never ask." Xander lifted up two clubs and flipped them around. He clicked a switch on them, and the front end of them opened up. "This is the Hive," Xander said as he lifted up the one with bee paintings on it. "And this is the Nest," he held up the other one, revealing a painting of a nest on it. "You ever heard of the Nest of Bees?" Bush shook his head. "It's an older weapon. It fires off 32 rocket propelled arrows at the same time. Works the same way, except with dust. The Hive holds explosives, while the Nest holds elemental stuff. Let's just say the dragon won't be standing tall after a hit of these."

"I see why she hired you," Bush said, showing no reactions to his weapons.

"Come on big boy, you're impressed."

"It's not the weapon, it's the man who wields the weapon."

"Having a good weapon helps. Hell, from what I heard the dragon is a weapon." Bush stood in silence. "Hey, Bush!"

"No. I'm done with this conversation." Bush stood in silence, and Xander just started throwing up his weapons in the air. "Are you juggling them?" Bush asked.

"I gotta do something to keep my mind off of things," he replied. "Don't worry, I do this all the time." Bush looked at his face carefully. That explains the scarring, he thought. They continued to stand in silence, awaiting any other orders.

**End: Three things that might not be asked but I feel I should clear the air on. I was annoyed by my lack of inclusion of Cinder, Torchwick, Adam, etc when I put Derek in captivity. So expect a bit from Bush and Xander. Second, my little wristbands for the three girls. That is a product of me completely fucking up as a writer. I had them written in as just electrical, and then I realized something. Monica's semblance is control over electricity, and they know about it. I couldn't think of anything else, so I made it cancel out semblances. Lastly, Bush. I want to know if any knows what Mr. Ido's name is based around. If not, then I'll explain it. Any other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated. **


	41. Chapter 41

Child of Grimm Ch. 41

**And SamG17 'B-13 got it right. Not like I was real subtle about his name. Bushido, the Japaneses sword form/lifestyle. I'm really just not clever.**

Derek put down one of the files he had just finished reading. He had tried to read through all of the info and make connections, but it was no good. He reared back his head, and puffed up some flames.

"STOP IT!" Roxanne yelled out from the other side of the room. "I swear, I will muzzle you if you keep this up." Derek grumbled angrily.

"So glad that I don't have to deal with her for the rest of the day," Nathan said.

"You and me both," Yang replied. The door to the medical wing opened up, and Roxanne went over to greet someone. "Looks like our shift is up," Yang said, standing up.

"Shift?" Derek asked.

"You didn't think we'd stay with you the whole time," Nathan asked. "Did you?" _I guess not. _

"Let us through," a familiar voice said. Derek looked up and saw Gwen and Weiss pushing past Roxanne.

"Only three visitors at a time," Roxanne said. "One of you is going to have to leave."

"No need," Nathan said. "Myself and Yang will be heading out now. See you later D." Nathan patted Derek on the back, and he grunted loudly. "Sorry about that."

"Bye Derek," Yang said. She chose not to hug him, and just left. Derek looked over to Weiss and Gwen, and looked down at the files.

"How are you holding up?" Gwen asked.

"I'm doing fairly well," Derek replied. "My wings are healing up slowly, and the progress on my scales is next to nothing. Mentally, it's been a burden. I'm struggling to not place the blame on myself."

"You shouldn't."

"You should," Weiss said angrily. "It was your idea that put them where you did."

"Weiss!" Gwen snapped. "I thought you said you would be good!"

"It slipped," Weiss said unapologetically.

"It's fine Gwen," Derek added in. "I didn't think that Weiss was coming in here out of compassion."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what that means. You and I aren't exactly very friendly towards each other, and I knew that you would blame me. I expected you a little sooner."

"What makes you think that I don't care about you?" The anger in Weiss' voice was rising.

"Oh where does the list begin?"

"What gives you the right to talk to me that way?"

"This isn't daddy's school, _heiress. _I suggest that you briefly refresh yourself on what an argument is." Roxanne finally walked over to them.

"Is her being here going to be an issue?" She asked them.

"As long as the heiress holds her tongue, then we should be fine." Weiss just gave an angry growl.

"Okay, but if anything else comes up, then I'm kicking you out."

"Okay thank you," Gwen said. Roxanne walked off to tend to other business. Gwen faced both of them. "Both of you keep your tongues!" She hissed. "Weiss, have you said all you wanted to say?" Weiss nodded. "Good. I know that Derek won't start an issue."

"What makes you so sure?" Weiss asked bitterly.

"Because I've never once seem him start a fight, but I've seen him finish plenty." Derek picked up a file, and started to make marks across the lines. "Want any help?"

"If you so choose," he replied. Gwen and Weiss both picked up a file, and started to search through it.

_Unknown Location: Outside of Prison_

Bush was standing with his eyes closed. He had his sword propped onto the ground, and his hands rested lightly on them. He was in tune with the environment around him. Nothing was going to get past him. He was vaguely aware that something was going on next to him, but he ignored it. If that idiot needed his help, he would ask him, or yell, or do something logical. He kept feeling something, so he finally gave up and opened up his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked impatiently.

"Don't move," Xander said urgently. Now Bush poised himself to fight.

"What is it?"

"I'm almost done."

"With, what?" Bush asked angrily.

"I'll take a picture don't worry." Xander put his hands down, and then backed up. He raised up his arms, and smiled triumphantly. "It's good!" He pulled out his scroll, and took a picture. "Now let me do this." He quickly reached over Bush's head, and plucked off the Hive and the Nest. "Now here's the picture." He flipped around his scroll, and Bush looked on in anger at the sight. There was a box, a bucket, the Hive and the Nest, and then another box on top of his head. Bush angrily shook off the items, and then looked at Xander.

"Why did you do that?"

"I was bored, and you were in the zone or something." Bush growled angrily at him. He heard a series of footsteps behind him, and he turned to face his saviors. Cinder, the twins, Adam, and Torchwick walked up to him.

"Please Cinder," Bush begged. "You have to get me away from this lunatic."

"I'm afraid that's not an option right now," Cinder replied. "We need our best swordsman with our best explosives expert, and you fit the bill. Get used to it." Bush grumbled unhappily. "Open up the cells." Bush nodded, and swung open the door. The five of them walked in, and looked at the cells. Cinder looked at the nearest one that was occupied, and opened up the door. Blake casually looked up from her book, and then looked back down. Cinder found herself pondering how she got a book, but that was a question for later.

"Hello Blake," she said. Blake paid her no mind, and just kept reading. "If you want to keep that book, I suggest that you put it down." Cinder quickly lit a ball of fire in her hands, and Blake put it down.

"What?" She asked boredly.

"I must admit Blake, I knew that you would try and resist us the longest. Adam promised us as much." Blake hissed in his direction. "No need to bitter, Blake. He simply wasn't allowed to tell you about the program."

"What exactly did you do?" Blake asked.

"I picked the candidates," Adam replied. "And I fought to keep it together." Blake shrugged, and eyed her book.

"Alright then kitty," Torchwick said impatiently. "If you so wish to ignore us, then keep it up. But let's see how much longer you can ignore us when you're friends are being tortured." Now Blake was paying full attention.

"You wouldn't," she hissed.

"Oh we would." Blake lunged forward, but Miltia knocked her to the ground with her claws. Blake sprung to her feet, but Melanie's boots kicked her down.

"I knew that we brought you two for a reason," Cinder said.

"We're here for fighting," Miltia said.

"And that's all you pay us for," Melanie finished.

"Right," Cinder said. She brought her eyes to the open wounds in Blake's back and stomach. "Can we get those bandaged up before she bleeds out?" Torchwick looked over at Adam, and gestured for him to go out.

"Why should it be me?" Adam asked.

"Because she's your former partner," Torchwick replied. Adam looked like he was going to hit him, but Cinder held up her hand.

"Just do it," she said. Adam left the cell. "It's like I'm dealing with toddlers sometimes." Adam returned with a large bandage, and he quickly wrapped it around Blake's midsection. The five of them turned to leave, and Blake just looked at them carefully. She had just learned what everyone's role within the group was.

The five of them entered in the next cell to see Monica still clutching her wrist.

"What happened to you?" Torchwick asked immediately.

"I busted my wrist," she said. "And then the mustache guy forced it into place."

"Bush would do something like that," Adam grumbled.

"Boys!" Cinder snapped. "Remember why we're here." They both backed off. "I'm terribly sorry about your wrist Monica. How did you bust it?" Monica looked at her suspiciously. This didn't seem like the same Cinder that Derek told her about. What was her angle?

"I tried to break these," Monica said, flipping around her other wrist to show off the cuffs. "It didn't go over well."

"Oh you poor thing. We could of have told you that they won't break from that much force. They were designed for someone much stronger then you."

"You clearly have never seen my strength."

"Then you have no idea who we designed those for. It was after Adam," Cinder shot a look back to the masked soldier. "Failed to uphold his end of the deal." Monica looked at them carefully.

"What about you two?" She asked the twins. "Where do you fit in."

"Mercenaries," Cinder explained. "Very good mercenaries. Which is why we keep them. I'm sorry, but our time is up for now." Cinder walked away, and the other four trailed her. "Until next time Monica." She closed the door, and Monica leaned back. Something seemed wrong about their visit.

They finally opened up the door to Ruby's cell. They looked around to see that no one was in sight.

"Wrong cell?" Adam asked. He felt a strong blow to the side of his head, and then he fell over. Torchwick turned in time to see Ruby hit him in the throat. She quickly ran at Cinder, but was stopped halfway there from the electricity in her cuffs.

"So you have a fighting spirit," Cinder said. "Good. That means you will be the most fun to break." Ruby stood up, and looked at them. "Get up," Cinder barked to the two boys. Torchwick and Adam struggled to get up, and Torchwick angrily picked up Ruby.

"You hit me in the throat," he said. "That's not very nice, is it Red?" Ruby just eyed him carefully.

"Put her down," Cinder said calmly. Torchwick tossed her to the ground. "Now Ruby, what exactly is your relationship to Derek?"

"I'm not telling you," she said calmly. "He wouldn't want me too."

"Easy enough to get out of you in other ways. This is the most painless way to do so. If not, we target the kitty, and then we attack the lighting bolt. If you somehow still hold out, then we go after someone else. Maybe your sister, or maybe the heiress. It depends on who we think will affect you more."

"He's a friend," Ruby finally replied, trying to keep her expression neutral.

"Tsk, tsk. We expected a more honest answer from you. Adam, please explain what she is forgetting."

"He ran into your mother while running away from us," Adam explained. "He got her killed, and then made a foolish promise. I guess he's coming to make good on that promise." Ruby tried to run at them again, but the twins raised up their weapons.

"That wouldn't be a smart thing to do Red," Torchwick said, raising up his cane. "The twins are awfully good at their job."

"Why are we here?" Ruby asked.

"To get to him of course," Adam added in. "After our recent project, well, he's a little bit too strong for us to get him on our own."

"Well I think that this visit has been wonderful," Cinder said. "But we've gotten what we came for. Come on." The five of them left, and Ruby sat down on the ground. She looked over at her bed, and made the decision. She jumped in, and wrapped herself up in her cloak. A new morning might bring new answers.

_Beacon Academy: Medical Ward_

Derek looked up from another one of the files, and groaned in anger. Weiss and Gwen put down their files, and just shook their heads.

"I don't think that this place is connected with the White Fang," Gwen finally said. "There is no where else that they have that could keep them hidden. We need to stop looking at the White Fang, and focus on the others."

"I agree with you," Derek said. "It's getting late though, and you all have classes tomorrow."

"We do," Weiss agreed. "So we have a night shift." Derek looked up to see Ren and Pyrrha entering the room.

"Is there any particular reason that you two were selected?" Derek asked Ren and Pyrrha.

"We figured that you didn't want Jaune or Nora while you were trying to sleep," Pyrrha said. "And the others already had their shifts." Derek nodded and leaned his head back. Ren and Pyrrha looked around him.

"Is there any beds that we can use?" Ren asked. Roxanne nodded, and gestured to all of the empty ones.

"So long as no one else comes in," she called out. Ren and Pyrrha hopped up into their beds, and Derek started to think. _A night shift. This is not just them being good friends. This is them making sure no one gets to me. There would be no way I could fight in this state. What are they doing to them? Those animals with them, that could be bad. ARG! _Derek swung his claws around out of frustration, and cut down his IV stand. Roxanne let out a sigh, and Derek looked at it in shock._  
_

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was angry."

"You'd be surprised at how often this happens," Roxanne replied. She picked up the stand, and held it in place. She closed her eyes, and a green glow swept over the pole. The cut pieces of metal mended back into place, and Derek watched on in shock.

"That's your semblance? Why haven't you used it on me?"

"I have," she replied dismissively. "That's why your wings and scales are this far along. Get some sleep. I'll give you more medicine at night."

"You're the night shift?"

"I'm every shift. Part of my semblance, I can get myself through sleepless nights. Goodnight." Derek leaned back in his bed, with a very surprised looking Ren and Pyrrha next to him. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

**End: Sorry for the late upload, but this is only the beginning of my uploading schedule getting worse. I don't want any pity points, but I had surgery a couple of weeks ago and it's kept me out of school for a while. For many reason. One, I had cronic pain for several weeks leading up to it, which kept me out. I had surgery, and that took two weeks to recover from fully. Then, a nerve somehow got damaged in my leg and that's kept me out. So my upload schedule will get worse. But these next couple of chapters we will divulge further into the minds of the main 7 enemies {Bush, Xander, Miltia, Melanie, Adam, Torchwick, and Cinder} along with what everyone's opinion on Derek really stands and how the three personalities will hold up. I have quite a bit planned out, so there will never be a delay for that.**


	42. Chapter 42

Child of Grimm Ch. 42

**Somebody said that they want Junior in this story. Let's just say that I may or may not have some plans for him in the future.**

Monica woke up, and gently rolled off of the bed. She tried to flex her wrist, and found that it had fully healed. She quickly sat down, and just looked at the cuffs. They couldn't be broken by brute force, and her semblance was inactive while she wore them. She stood up, and looked around the room. Nothing. Nothing that might help her break them off. She sat down, and put her head in her hands. She found herself missing Derek more then anything else. It was difficult to live in these conditions, and not think of him. She thought of what he had said. _I didn't have much to do for entertainment. _Monica picked up her mattress, and then propped it up against the wall. She got herself in a boxers stance, and started to hit it. She had to keep her strength up.

Blake was continuing to read her book, though she was already almost finished. She started to hear some grunts from one of the cells, so she stood up.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked. Ruby walked to the front of her cell, while there was still no sign of Monica. "Moni? Moni!"

"I'm fine," she grunted. "I'm just keeping myself occupied." Blake tried to lean out of her cell, but the bars were too thin. She had figured as much, but it never hurt to check. She walked back over to her bed, and kept reading. Now the main hero in her book was out searching for the people that he loved. They had been taken away, and now he looked tirelessly to find them. Blake set her book down, and she felt her eyes fill with tears. When was Derek going to come for them? She hated the feeling of being useless, but there was nothing she could do. These tiny metal wristbands were completely eliminating her ability to do anything. She picked up her book again, and let the sadness consume her yet again.

Ruby was absentmindedly blowing a piece of paper in and out of the air. Ruby didn't mind the captivity as much as she minded the boredom. She kept this up, until she found herself unable too stay distracted from this simple task. Ruby started to wander in circles around her room, and she thought of her captivity. It was clear to her that the two outside of the prison were important to the other five, but nothing made else made sense. Derek had described Cinder as being the main brain, yet she seemed as though she had others watching over her. Most of the others were easy to figure out, but one thing was also clear to her. Adam was not being well received by the others. His failure to keep Derek captive had made everyone around him skeptical that he could keep them locked up. Then she thought of Derek. Ruby wondered how he was doing. Above all else, she wondered how her sister was doing. She had never gone this long without seeing Yang, and it was starting to concern her. But for now, she had to stay strong. For when they came to get her.

_Outside of Prison_

Xander was snoring softly, leaning against the door. Bush was still awake, and still standing up. He would sleep when Xander woke up. For two main reasons. The first of which was standard, you couldn't have two sleeping guards. The second of them was simply that Bush didn't want to deal with Xander. He could sleep as long as he liked, because that just meant more time for Bush to be left in silence. He gave out a happy sigh, and looked around. Nothing. He didn't know why they were so concerned, because the alarm system in this place was very advanced. No one would get past the first level without tripping it, much less the bottom level. Seven levels of guards, and seven levels of security systems. No one existed on the planet that could of have gotten through this much security. He heard Xander stirring, and he sighed deeply. He could tolerate Xander's presence, so long as he could assist in the ways that he promised.

"Anything happen?" Xander asked. Bush shook his head. "Good. I guess it's your turn to sleep." Bush nodded, and sunk to the ground.

"If you bother me while I'm asleep," Bush said calmly. "I will cut off every one of your limbs."

"Point taken. Get some rest. I gotta feeling that the dragon and company are going to come after us soon." Bush nodded, and closed his eyes.

_Conference Room_

The five of them were all sitting at various parts of the room. Melanie and Miltia were sitting near the window, just looking out at everyone that passed, assessing their threat levels. Adam was leaned back in his chair, and Torchwick was across from him. Cinder was at the head of the table, pacing back and forth.

"I don't see why we don't just get ready to execute them," Adam said. "We could make a big display of it, and hurry up Drake's decision."

"Believe it or not Adam," Torchwick said angrily. "We're not exactly ready to accept your decisions again."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know, maybe it was the 'I-have-Drake-under-control-so-we-should-give-him-a-third-dose' thing." Adam slammed his fist on the table, and stood up.

"There was only one location that held that information!"

"Tell me Adam," Cinder said from the head of the table. "Did you ever show the other four Children of Grimm these locations?" Adam's face drained of what little color remained.

"I showed them once," he admitted. "But it was a very long time ago. I didn't think that they would find it again."

"Didn't you mention something about the other bases holding the location?" Miltia asked.

"And that the location of where he was hidden wasn't that big of a secret?" Melanie added. Cinder and Torchwick both took a long look at him.

"Okay so it wasn't hidden that well," Adam finally admitted. "But where the other four spent most of their time was completely devoid of that information."

"We need someone else," Cinder finally said. "We need someone else's judgement, someone to contradict what it is that you idiots might say." The twins both looked at each other, and then looked back at the others.

"We might have someone," Miltia said.

"But he might not be willing to work with us again," Melanie finished. Cinder looked over at them, and smiled.

"We'll talk to him later," Cinder replied. "Right now, we must sort out our captives."

_Beacon Academy: Medical Ward_

Derek woke up from his long slumber. Much to his surprise, he had no dreams. _A nice change of pace, but why did it have to come when a dream might reveal what I want to know? _Derek looked over, and saw that Ren and Pyrrha were still fast asleep. He just shifted slightly, but immediately grunted in pain.

"Allow me," Roxanne said. He looked over to see the nurse rising from her desk, quickly making her way over to Derek's bed. She rested one of her hands on his chest, and the other between both of his wings. She closed her eyes, and the green glow quickly swept over him. Derek could feel parts of him coming together, and Roxanne took her hand off of him.

"How close?" He asked eagerly.

"Very close," she replied in a neutral tone. Derek did all that he could to not call out in excitement. "I'm going to do another one later on in the afternoon. After that, you will probably be able to leave the hospital." Derek looked at his wings, and then down at his chest. The signs of scales were starting to emerge from it, and his wings were feeling pretty good.

"Thank you for this."

"It's my job, and not like my semblance would be good for much else." Derek nodded as Roxanne returned to her desk. Derek picked up some files, and then he heard some stirring.

"Morning Derek," Pyrrha said groggily. "A quiet night, huh?" Derek nodded, and looked at one of his files.

"Which makes me wonder," he said. "You were here to make sure nothing happened to me, weren't you?"

"Yes," Ren replied simply. "We figured you'd learn soon enough. We thought it would be best if the object that our enemy so desperately desired was watched over. If you were taken, they might no longer have a reason to keep the others alive."

"How are you so calm about this?" Ren shrugged, and looked at the door.

"Yang and Nathan should be here soon, so we're going to leave for class." Derek checked the time, and nodded. Ren and Pyrrha stood up, and looked down at his files.

"Good luck," Pyrrha said. They walked out the door, and talked quietly with each other. Derek opened up one of the files, and flipped through it. _This man is already jailed. What's the point of looking here? Wait a minute. _Derek read the last line on the details of his arrest.

_A bounty hunter says that he payed for the information on where to find him._

Derek gently put down the file in a spot where there were no stacks, and flipped through his read files. Something looked very familiar about that line. He found the one he wanted, and looked at the last line. _Identical to the other. _He read through four more files on jailed criminals, and dead criminals, and they all had one thing in common. An payed tip, courtesy of one person. He quickly opened up his scroll, and looked for any bounty hunter files. _A new angle to play for this. I might not be able to find their location, but let's see if I can get someone else to find it._

_Unknown Location: Prison_

Monica hit her bed one more time, and then kneeled down on the ground. She was exhausted. She dragged over the bed to her frame, and then looked at the wall. They mentioned something about a way to get water nearby here. She quickly found a switch on the wall, and then flipped it. A little spot on the wall opened up, and then a small bottle of water was left there. She quickly started to drink it, but then had an idea. She flipped the switch again, and waited with her bottle. She jammed it in the space between it and the wall, and then grabbed the water. As soon as the bottle hit the wall, the slot stopped closing. A loud alarm blared, and Monica quickly backed up. Bush and Xander bust open her cell, and looked at the slot.

"Like she could fit in there anyway," Xander sneered. Bush walked over, and grabbed the bottle out from the slot.

"Don't try this again," he said simply. "And pass on the message to your friends too. If you do decide that maybe the alarm won't work, I'll leave my associate with you. And based off of my time with him, I wouldn't recommend that you try this again." Monica nodded, and watched them leave the room. Monica picked up her bottle of water, and lay on her rough mattress. She was too tired to keep up fighting, but she wasn't tired enough to sleep.

"Come and get us soon Derek," she whispered quietly.

**End: Sorry about the late upload. I had a lot of leg tests today, so I didn't feel like writing for a fair part of the day. I really do now, so I'm going to get going. If I do happen to finish my next chapter before I pass out from exhaustion and pain, then I will upload it. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated**


	43. Chapter 43

Child of Grimm Ch. 43

**Pre-story warning: This chapter has been on the story board for a very, veeery, long time. That being said, this chapter also is intended to be a shorter one {within one the 1000-2000 range}. I'm sorry, but that's just the way some things play out. Also, this chapter is going to involve nothing on the prisoners/villains of this story, which makes me sad. Once again though, that's the way some things play out.**

Derek continued to look through his scroll while he awaited Nathan and Yang's return. He had been at it for a long time, and he knew that their shift was almost up. He had still found nothing on the mystery informant, but he hadn't quite finished up looking at all of the files. _Someone had to slip up. There must be something here on this. _He heard the door open up, and he could tell Roxanne was greeting them. He could hear footsteps, but something sounded off to him. _Yang and Nathan don't wear heals. _He looked up to see Gwen and Weiss approaching his bed, a bundle of files in Gwen's hands.

"Hey Derek," Gwen greeted. "We got the files. Yang and Nathan ran into us while we were heading here, and we offered to take the files. I thought we gave you all of the criminal files?"

"You did," Derek replied. "However, I've found much more use elsewhere. If you two would like to help..." Derek gestured to the bundle of files in Gwen's arms. She set it down, and handed one to Derek. They both quickly picked one up, and started to look through it.

"Bounty hunters?" Weiss asked, confusion evident in her voice. "What do they have to do with finding them?"

"Bounty hunters are very resourceful, and they have several connections. One of those we're looking for." Derek pulled out a small bundle of files, and opened them up. He quickly pointed out the only two things highlited on every page.

_Incarcerated_

_Deceased_

_Payed for an anonymous informant_

"So?" Weiss asked. "It could all be different informants."

"Weiss, I trained with bounty hunters. I know that's not exactly what your father would put you through, but Ozpin saw a lot of practicality in it. Every anonymous informant leaves a different message to the bounty hunters, and those are the messages the bounty hunters leave. We're looking for a slip up under any of the files, a location. This person is said to be pricey, which is why I'm happy to see you Weiss. Would you be willing to get some dust to pay for him?" Derek awaited, what he thought to be, the inevitable response from Weiss.

"Of course," she replied. "They have my partner, my teammate, and my friend. I have plenty of dust to afford it." Derek looked at her in surprise. _Partner not only received top billing, but it was also her choice of words over leader. A note that Ruby would appreciate. _Derek immediately felt his heart grow heavier, and he started to read through his file. He didn't get very far before Roxanne walked over to him.

"Last time," she said. "If this works the way it should, then you'll be out of here." Derek nodded, and let her rest her hands on him. She closed her eyes, and the green glow went over his body. He could already tell that his wings had repaired, and he looked down at his chest. _My scales are back. _"You can stay here for a little bit longer," Roxanne reassured him. "Until you find what you're looking for."

"No need," Gwen called out. "We'll be on our way." Gwen picked up the files, and bundled them together. Derek stood up and picked up his clothes. They hadn't left his side since he got in here. He threw on the top of his armor, since the leggings were already on him, and put on his hoodie over it. He nodded his thanks to Roxanne, and left the hospital ward.

"Fill me in on what you found," he told Gwen. "Where is everyone else?"

"In class," Weiss said. "We're the only two without it right now."

"Hey," Derek heard someone call out from behind him. He turned, and sighed deeply. _Not now. I don't have time to deal with this! _"I heard you just got out of the hospital," Cardin Winchester said. He was flanked by all of the members of CRDL. "We decided to pay you a visit. Let you know what we thought about-." He was cut off by Derek stepping forward and punching him square in the face.

"Fuck off Cardin," he said. "I'm just not in the mood." Cardin reached up to his nose, and started to roll in pain. "Let's go to myself and Gwen's dorm."

_DRGN's Dorm_

Derek and Gwen sat down on their beds, and Weiss just occupied Monica's bed.

"Okay," Gwen said. "People all have their own speech patterns, and that reflects in writing. The way people phrase things comes off different, and if something is similar, it indicates that someone else is feeding them the lines. Here." Gwen opened up three files, and pointed to the parts that she had highlited. Derek and Weiss looked at the highlited parts, and read one line.

_Like a nest of rats_

Derek immediately opened several more files, and saw the line over and over again. Derek looked at the context of the statement.

_To get the info I needed, I had to go to somewhere._

_The location..._

_My informants..._

"Same pattern," Gwen declared. "Any ideas D?" Derek opened up his scroll, and played a hunch. He searched for anywhere named the Rat's Nest, and a name came up.

"Let's go," Derek said quickly. "Any time we're here, then we're wasting more time."

"I'm getting the dust," Weiss said. Derek eyed her carefully, and then he looked at Gwen.

"I might be able to fly us," he said cautiously. Weiss just shrugged, and left to get her dust. Upon returning, Derek opened up the window. He extended both of his arms, and let Weiss and Gwen hold onto him. He took off into the air, and flew across Beacon.

_The Rat's Nest: Outside_

Derek landed a block away, with Gwen and Weiss stepping down. They walked up to the front, and one of the guards stopped them.

"How old are you faunus?" He asked. "And you're friends' age too."

"I'm not a faunus," Derek said. "But details aren't important to you. As to our age, we're here to meet the man in charge. What does our age matter?" The guard snorted in an amused tone.

"Yeah right. Beat it punk." Derek swung his fist into the guards face, and then walked into the bar. He looked around the room, until he saw what he was looking for. One table, surrounded by security, with one person at the center. He was overweight, bald, and older. He was on a scroll, and he wore a greasy brown coat with greasy brown jeans to match. Derek sighed, and walked over to the table. The man briefly looked up at them, and then looked down at his scroll again.

"I don't have time for you kids," he said. "If you want illegal alcohol, then go elsewhere."

"That's not why we're here," Derek said. "Tell me, how many bounty hunters have you aided?" Now the man looked up at him, and then studied his face.

"You're not a faunus," the man said. "And since you know who I am, it seems pointless to try and fake like I don't know who you are. Drake Flame, the Child of Grimm. You've made quite an impression on some of my resources. Sadly, I don't have time to see exactly what you're doing. You three, get rid of them." Three of the guards stood up, and drew large cleavers. The first one ran at Derek, and swung the cleaver into his head. The cleaver shattered, and Derek looked up at the guard.

"Back off," he said threateningly. The guard complied, and his two compatriots also backed off.

"I'm impressed," the man said. "You handled my security well. I guess I should of have realized your scales would of have stopped that. No matter." The man stood up, and reached out his hand. "You can call me the Rat. I'm the informant with more ties then anyone you can find. I guess that those two are your friends, and I won't question their identities. What do you need?"

"A few days ago, my friends were captured. We need their location." The Rat nodded, and checked his scroll. He clicked on a few buttons, and then looked quizzically at Derek.

"I need a few things from you. The names of the people that took them, and the last location they were seen in."

"Dust mine A7, and there are a few." The Rat gestured for him to continue. "Adam Taurus, Melanie and Miltia Malachite, Roman Torchwick, and Cinder Fall."

"An interesting combination." The Rat typed out some things on his scroll, and then looked at them. "Roughly 20 crystals, any kind will work." Weiss tossed up a small pouch of dust crystals, and the Rat inspected it's contents. He rolled over five crystals back to her, and then took the pouch. "Alright, the location is on your scroll now Drake, as is some information on the compound. It's a big, high tech, lock down, secure facility. You want any assistance?"

"Unless you know anyone that can fight at a high skill level, then I'm not interested. This is personal." The Rat smiled, and waved for him to leave.

"If I find anyone, I'll let you know about." Derek nodded, and left with Gwen and Weiss.

"He was interesting," Gwen said. "But useful."

The Rat remained on his scroll, and opened up a message area.

_You there?_

_I'm busy attending my business as hand._

_Well let me know if you have time, and if you want to make a little dust. I got a couple of interesting clients._

_I'll keep you informed Rat. Don't worry._

The Rat set down his scroll, and considered his other options. No one stacked up like they did.

**End: Shout out to my other story. I won't really integrate it heavily into the plot, but the Rat is from my other story. You might want to read it if you want to know who the person on the other end is, but once again it won't really play heavily into this story given the timeline of the Order vs. this one. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated and I'm sorry if this isn't a great chapter.**


	44. Chapter 44

Child of Grimm Ch. 44

**To the reply I got, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I did forget to mention that the Rat has an Italian accent, so just picture him with that. Also, I've been thinking about doing some alternate stories covering DRGN's time at Signal/Sanctum {Derek and Monica at Signal and Nathan and Gwen in Sanctum} and some stories covering the adventures of LOOS. The first alternate story idea {you can throw in your own} to get three reviews saying that they want that one done {I.E: A series of one-shots for DRGN's time at the other schools} then I will do that. Only thing I'm setting a perimeter on is that the suggestion has to be a one shot.**

Blake put down her now finished book. She leaned back against her cell, and just thought about it. At the end of everything, the man had found his loved ones. It was a happy ending, which normally Blake despised. In this case, all it did was give her hope. There were people that she really cared about on her team, and people she really cared about on other teams. She had been sitting here, with everyone doing what they can to keep themselves occupied. Monica had been boxing with her mattress most of the time, while Ruby had just been pacing back and forth in her cell. Blake walked up to the front of her cell, and looked out the bar window.

"Guard!" She yelled out. The door opened up, with Bush and Xander walking over. "I finished up my book, can I get another?"

"You gave her a book?" Xander asked.

"Of course," Bush replied. "I knew Blake for a short period of time, and this is how we treat our prisoners."

"Whatever," Xander grumbled. Blake took a long look at Bush, and her mind clicked.

"You are a bird faunus," Blake said. Bush nodded. "I do remember you."

"I'll go get the book," Bush said. "Xander, please explain to her something." Bush left the cell, and Xander looked at her.

"Alright kitty," he said. "I know what you're trying to do, and I'm going to explain to you something. Whatever you knew of Bush, he hates you. You abandoned us, and I can tell that Bush is not a big fan of you. If you want to try and butter us up, then give up now." Blake looked at him, and Bush walked back in. He tossed a book to Blake, and then gestured for Xander to leave.

They closed the door to the prison, and they stood to the sides of the door.

"Did you get the message across?" Bush asked.

"Yup," Xander replied. "What was the deal with you and the cat anyway?"

"Not much. We went on a few missions together, and Adam told me that she had abandoned us. Nothing more."

"Nothing roman-." Bush drew his sword and raised it up to Xander's throat.

"You have already worn my patience thing mad man," Bush said in a low voice. "I do not have time for your jokes, and nor do I have the patience for it. I suggest that you choose your next words wisely." Xander backed off from his associate, and then stood down.

"I can see why they paired us together," Xander remarked. Bush started to raise up his sword, but he could already see the Hive and the Nest staring at him. "I'm choosing my words carefully, so I want you to listen." Bush sheathed his sword, and Xander lowered his weapons. "We were paired together for more then just our fighting styles. We're opposites, and I think that Cinder is interested to see how we handle it."

"Not very well," Bush grumbled as he faced out again. Xander shrugged, and started to flip around his weapons again. He looked out into the distance, and thought about what Xander had said. It made a freighting amount of sense to him. The idea that Xander was sane enough to deliver that, inspired new confidence in Bush.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek was desperately awaiting the return of the others. LOOS had just got back from a mission, and they were heading over to Derek's dorm. Nathan, Yang, and JNPR had just wrapped up their classes, and they were heading over. Derek had already scoured over every inch of the base diagram, and he was concerned. _This won't be easy. An advance security system, guards on every level. I also have to take into account that they're no longer intimidated by my presence as a Child of Grimm. Whoever this Rat guy is, he certainly is thorough. _Derek heard the door open up, and he watched everyone else pile in.

"What you got for us D?" Nathan asked.

"Here's what happened," Derek began. "We found a man that was an informant to many bounty hunters, and we requested his assistance. He gave us this." Derek tapped something out on his scroll, and a small, 3D diagram popped out of his scroll. Everyone backed away from it, even Derek. _This is certainly new. _He regained his composure, and started to point out some things. "As you can see, there are seven layers of security systems and guards that we'd have to fight through. That's where this comes in." Derek zoomed in on a small pathway that lead down through the first six layers, and lead them right to the second layer. "I think it's supposed to be hidden, but somehow the Rat managed to get it. This pathway is incredibly well defended, and it'd be impossible for us to reach it without getting the alarm tripped. So myself and Ozpin talked about it."

"He knows about this?" Olivia asked.

"You really think that I wouldn't tell Ozpin this immediately?" Olivia shrugged, and folded up her arms. "Anyway, we agreed that we should trip the alarm right off the bat. The nine of us can slip through the lines, or burst our way through the lines, and get to the pathway. It'll bring us to the bottom level, and that's where this is." Derek zoomed in on a chamber marked prison. "Are you guys ready." Everyone nodded. "Good. The attack will happen tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Yang asked angrily. "Why that long?!"

"Because we can't take this base alone. It's taking a lot for Ozpin to organize this attack. I don't like it either Yang, I have people I care about in this as well." Yang just nodded, and stood up to leave.

"Call us when we're ready to go." Weiss left to join her, and the other two teams left the remainder of DRGN.

"You really think this info's good D?" Nathan asked.

"I do for what it's worth," Gwen said. "Every file that indicated that a criminal was taken down, seemed to tie back to him." Derek stood up, and looked out the window.

"I'm going to head to the training grounds," he said. "It's been a while since I've fought." He didn't wait for his teams response, and jumped out. He let his wings catch the wind, and then flew over to the training grounds.

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

Yang and Weiss entered their dorm, and looked at the empty beds. They only felt some relief that they had a plan of action in terms of where to go. Both of their hearts hurt in the absence of their teammates. Yang sat on her bed, and looked across from her. The bunk was empty, and that just reminded her that she still didn't have her sister. She looked below her, and felt another twinge in her heart at the absence of Blake. Her quiet nature never once diminished her presence in the room.

"I wish this would carry on sooner," Weiss said as she started to clean off her weapon. Yang just nodded in reply. "I wonder if his information is good?"

"I trust Derek," Yang replied. "If he thinks that information is good, then I think it's good."

"Can we really trust him though?" Yang jumped down from her bed, and angrily walked over to Weiss.

"What does that mean?"

"I simply mean has he really given us a reason to trust him? I know he hasn't done anything to make us distrust him, but neither has he done anything to make us earn his trust."

"He said he'd watch over my sister, he forgave Blake, he's saved our lives on multiple occasions, and you still don't trust him. I bet that you're glad that she's gone!"

"Yang," Weiss said, her voice starting to break at Yang's final words. Yang didn't notice, and just kept going.

"You always wanted to be leader, and now two of the candidates in your way are gone."

"Enough Yang," Weiss replied in both anger and sadness.

"And above all of that, you want Derek out of the picture too. Because he might put in a word against you. That's it, isn't it?!" Fire now exploded out from behind Yang.

"Yang," Weiss finally snapped. "I care about Blake and Ruby, and I want them back. My distrust for Derek stems from elsewhere."

"Why should I believe you?!"

"Because Ruby and I are partners! I would never abandon my partner!" Yang calmed down a little bit, but her rage had already reached a breaking point. She almost couldn't bring herself to stop. She breathed heavily, but the knowledge that Weiss wanted to be leader was just too much. Weiss could see that, and she took the only course of action that she felt she could. She wrapped Yang up in a hug. "Please Yang," she said softly. "I don't know how much more of the yelling I can take." Yang's expression softened, and she hugged back.

"I'm sorry Weiss," she replied in a soft voice. "I've just been worried about my baby sister and partner. This is the longest I've been without her for a long time." Weiss and Yang held each other close, and did all that they could to hold back their tears.

**End: Sorry for the setup chapter and slightly later upload. Remember, let me know if you want a series of one shots, then leave a comment about it. Three comments, and I'll write it. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	45. Chapter 45

Child of Grimm Ch. 45

**I'M SO MAD RIGHT NOW! I just lost all of my progress on this chapter for no other reason then the mouse on my laptop started to only right click, and there was no way to fix it other then restarting it. So everything I did just went out the window.**

Monica rolled out of her bed, and dragged the mattress over to the wall. She propped it up, and then took a boxing stance. She swung her fist into the mattress, and then kept up a fluid motion. She heard her cell open up, but she ignored whomever had come inside.

"Hello Monica," someone finally said. Monica glanced back and saw the twins, Adam, Torchwick, and Cinder, with Xander and Bush right outside of her cell. "It's good to see you again," Cinder said. Monica just faced her mattress again, and started to hit it again. "Aren't you concerned about damaging it?" Monica shook her head, and swung her right fist into the center of the mat. "I suppose you are keeping your strength up." Monica hit it one more time, and then faced the seven of them.

"I'm keeping my strength up for when they come," Monica replied calmly. She immediately faced the mattress again, and started to hit it again.

"I suggest you get all thoughts of escape out of your mind. No one knows where we are."

"And there is no offsite facility that your friends can attack," Adam added in. Cinder shot him a brief look, but resumed her gaze at Monica.

"Well, I hope you'll consider our offer." Cinder turned to leave, but Monica was confused.

"What offer?" Monica called out. Cinder tilted her head in Monica's direction.

"I know you're smart, so think. I do not wish to keep you captive, but I want you to get rid of all of your thoughts of escape. What's left?" Monica stepped away from her, realizing what she was asking. "Oh it wouldn't be that bad." Cinder walked to Monica, and circled around behind her. "After all," Cinder wrapped her arms around Monica, and leaned in by her ear. "I would love to have you working with us," she whispered into Monica's ear seductively. Monica swung her heal back, trying to hit Cinder's shin. She jumped into the air and threw Monica into the mattress. "I was hoping you wouldn't do that." Cinder turned to leave, and Monica just watched her go. As soon as she was gone, she hit the mattress as hard as she could.

Xander closed the cell door, and the other five walked out.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Torchwick asked.

"Of course," Cinder replied. "All we need is to get one of them to join us, and he'll follow. We'll have to ignore the girl though, she's too honest to join us." Cinder walked over to Blake's cell, and gestured for Bush to open it. He complied, and the other five walked in. Blake didn't even look up from her book, and Cinder observed that carefully.

"Hello Blake," she said. Blake continued to read, and that intrigued her. "I can see you love books."

"I do," Blake replied, still not looking up from her book. Adam played a hunch, and stepped forward.

"Have you read that one before?" He asked. Blake put down the book, and angrily looked at him. Adam smiled at her reaction. "So you do still harbor feelings for me."

"None of them are positive," Blake said angrily.

"Why is that Blake?"

"Why did you run the Children of Grimm?"

"I didn't really, they just gave me the position and I followed along."

"So I guess you had no choice but to kill Derek's parents?"

"Don't be mad at me for that, he was nothing and he would of have been nothing if I didn't interfere." Blake's anger reached a boiling point, and she ponced on Adam. She swung her fist hard into his stomach, while holding onto him. He fell over, and he started to try and hold her off. "A little help!" He called out to the others.

"It's time you learned your place," Torchwick said simply. Blake swung around her hand into his face, and ripped off his mask. She paused for a moment as she saw four fresh scars that ran from the left of his left eye, to the top of his lip, courtesy of Derek. Adam took advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration, and threw her off of him. He got up, and put on his mask.

"Little bitch," he grumbled. Blake got ready to pounce again, but Cinder let her hand casually rest on the remote that controlled her cuffs. Blake stayed seated, and just watched them carefully. But now Cinder had an angle to play with Blake.

"You know Blake," she said, walking towards her. "We have an opening in management." She casually ran her hand down Blake's cheek. "And you would be in charge of him." Cinder pointed with her free hand at Adam. "You can do whatever you see fit to him." Blake thought for a moment. This would be an opportunity to get revenge on Adam, for what he did to her friends. But if she did that, she would abandon her friends.

"I think I'll just let Derek kill him," she said finally. "Then I'll get to watch." Cinder rose from her, and started to walk away. She closed the door to the cell, and sighed loudly. She was 0-2, and Ruby would never agree. She signaled for the others to join her in the conference room, and left Bush and Xander at the door. Xander started to run maintenance on his weapons, and inspect any place that was close to them.

"What are you doing?" Bush asked him.

"Getting ready," Xander replied. "I have a feeling that we might be involved in a big fight later on." Bush shrugged, and then continued to watch. But this still seemed awfully specific for Xander, that troubled Bush.

_Prison_

Blake listened to the door close, and walked up to the front of her cell.

"Did they come to you guys too?" She called out.

"Yeah," Monica said.

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"Cinder and company," Blake called out. "They talked to me about joining up, and I'm guessing similar results for Monica."

"Yeah," she called out. "They would of have just wasted your time, Ruby."

"I guess," Ruby replied. She went back to pacing her cell.

_Beacon Academy: Training Grounds_

Derek had been at the training grounds since early in the morning, and he only left late at night. He took another swing at the dummy with his spear and sword, but both of those were too slow. _Damnit, I can't learn how to fight solely with my sword and spear. _He tried to increase his speed, but he failed to do so. _Why is this so difficult?_

"Hey Derek," someone said from behind him. He turned to see Velvet Scarlatina standing right behind him. "Why are you here?"

"Training," he replied simply.

"Why aren't you using your wings, or fire, or tail?"

"Because I had them taken away from me earlier, and now I'm preparing for if that happens again. It's not going well."

"What about your stance?" Derek stopped fighting, and then looked at her. "You weren't always a Taituo hybrid, were you?" Derek nodded, and closed his eyes. He let his body relax, and then opened them up. He looked down at his stance, and noticed how wildly different the two stances were.

"Thank you Velvet." He swung around his spear and sword, and he felt it easier to do. "I needed that."

"You helped me, and so it's only fair that I assist you." Velvet started to walk away from him, but then turned back. "Good luck with your friends later on. I tried to volunteer, but the rest of my team is busy."

"It's fine Velvet, your chance will come." She walked off, and then Derek went back to fighting. Until his scroll pinged.

_Everyone's organized. Time to go._

_On my way._

Derek took off into the air, and made his way to the airships. He landed by them, and quickly watched everyone piling into the bullheads. Olivia was waiting out by him, while Derek continued to wait on everyone else to pile in.

"Will Pip and Beast be joining us?" Derek asked.

"No," Ozpin replied. "They're being used in White Fang operations, and we have reasons to believe that this isn't the White Fang, as Gwen pointed out." Derek nodded, and looked at the filled bullheads. "Time to go. Good luck Derek, and they know the plan." Olivia took off into the air, and the bullheads followed. Derek waited for the last one to take off, and then he took off.

_Cinder's Base: Outside_

The bullheads landed several yards away from the location of the base, and all of the hunters/teams walked up to the edge of the clearing. The saw a small, green, shack that was in the middle of a very small clearing.

"Do we have the right place?" One of the hunters asked.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said.

"Done," she replied, raising up her riffle. She looked down the sight, and then looked at Derek. "White Fang, some of the ones with the suits, and a couple others. It looks like them."

"Good," Derek said. He turned to the hunter, and just waited.

"Sniper teams, set up," he called out. Several people setup their stands, while Derek looked at the base. He narrowed his gaze, and let his vision take over.

"There are few enough of them that you should be able to take them out in one go. After that, every team will advance." The hunter in charge nodded, and resumed waiting on things to setup. "Did you assist in the last mission?"

"Yes I did. My name is George, George Wash. You can call me what you will." Derek nodded, and then kept on his lookout. "Get ready. Fire." Several shots rang out, and the guards all dropped. Derek stood up, and gestured for his friends to follow. They ran across the clearing, and entered the complex. He looked around the building, and identified an entrance down. _This isn't level one. This is the attic. _He opened up the door, and propped it up with one of his spikes. The hunters and his friends all went down the pathway, and Derek trailed them. He looked around, and found the hall that would lead to the pathway. He looked over at the hunters that were being led by Wash.

"Attack," he said quietly. "Trip the alarm, and then we'll go." Wash nodded, and signaled to the hunters. They ran out, and cut down a passing group of mercenaries. The alarm started to blare almost immediately. "Move," Derek said to his friends. They all stood up, and ran down the hall.

_Conference Room_

The five of them were sitting in the room, listening to the alarm.

"How did they find us?" Torchwick asked. "There is nothing out there on us."

"I don't know," Cinder replied. "But prepare to fight, and prepare to leave." They nodded, and raised up their weapons.

_Prison: Outside_

Bush and Xander listened to the alarm, and readied their weapons.

"Remember my plan?" Xander asked. Bush nodded in response. "Good, then time to get this party started. This is what we've been waiting for." Xander laughed, and walked off in the distance.

_Prison: Cells_

The three girls were at the front of their cells, and they listened to the alarms.

"They're coming," Ruby said excitedly. "Get ready." Monica took a boxers stance, Ruby hid around the door, and Blake just waited patiently.

_Level 1: Derek's Team_

The 13 of them were running down the hall, trying to get to the pathway as fast as they could. They got ready to round a corner, but a group of White Fang stepped out from the corner. The two groups looked at each other in surprise, but Derek recovered first.

"Get them," he said aggressively. He blew out a column of flames, and torched part of the White Fang. Olivia extended her wings, and fired off several feathers, catching some of the White Fang in the chest. Stephen ran forward, and swung around his stinger through four of them. Lupa jumped over him, and swung her claws down into the first White Fang's chest. She quickly swung around her sword into another one's chest. Orion barreled through several of the White Fang, and swung his fist hard into another's chest. The five of them looked up to see that all of the White Fang were already dead, with the others lowering their weapons.

"Got a little vicious," Nathan said. "Didn't even have to raise my axe."

"Let's keep moving," Derek said. They nodded, and opened up the pathway. Derek looked at the way down, and took a deep breath in. "I'll lead." He lit a ball of fire in his hands, and entered into the dark place. The others followed, and Derek let the flame provide the light. He didn't actually need it, his night vision was just fine. But apart from Nathan and LOOS, everyone else lacked night vision. He saw something beyond the point of the flame, and signaled for them to stop. Nathan raised up his axe, while LOOS all raised their swords. The others looked around in confusion.

"Light up the area," Derek told Weiss. She raised up her hand, and glyphs decorated the ceiling. Light shined down, and several White Fang looked up in surprise. "Go." Yang rushed forward, and slammed her fist into the first White Fang's stomach, and then kicked him in the head. Weiss flew past her, and swung around her sword into a White Fang's chest. Jaune ran forward, and flung himself at two of the White Fang. Pyrrha quickly shot one of them off of Jaune, and then threw her spear into the others chest as he tried to stand. Nora swung around her hammer into one of the White Fang, and Ren quickly swung around his Dragons into another that was behind her. Olivia let out a loud scream, and knocked down several of the White Fang. Stephen brought his sword into one of the White Fang, and then his stinger into another. Lou pounced on one of the White Fang, and then pounced off of him and swung her sword across one of the other's throats. Orion brought his fist into one of the White Fang, and one of them shot him. He grinned in their direction as his thick fur absorbed the shot, and swung his fist into them. Nathan swung around his axe and raised up a wall of ice between them and the White Fang. The White Fang paused, confusion evident in their faces. The ice suddenly flew forward and took them out. Gwen lowered her axe, and let the wind die down around her.

Derek had just watched the events unfold in front of him, and then he continued forward. He rounded a corner, and five White Fang raised up their rifles. They open fired, and Derek just let the rounds reflect off of him. _These idiots still don't recognize that standard dust rounds don't hurt me. _They all heard the click that signified that they were empty, and Derek ran forward. He extended his spikes and wings just before he reached them. The first one raised up their rifle to defend against his sword, but Derek just brought up his tail underneath the rifle and caught him in the chest. The second one swung his rifle into Derek's head, but Derek just faced him again. He swung around his sword into his stomach. The third one ran forward, but Derek just torched him. The other two started to run, and Derek angled his spear. He threw it and caught one of them in the back, and Derek threw one of his spikes into the other's back. He picked up his spear, and looked to see the others had rejoined him.

"We're almost there," he said. "Next stop, the prison cells."

They continued on, until they noticed a sign that was marked _Level 7. _Derek opened up the door, and saw the sheer amount of fighters running across the room. The group finally had a chance take in the sheer size of the chamber. It was an open complex, with bridges and pathways going across the whole thing. Derek looked over and saw one unmarked door that seemed to lead to a hallway. He faced the others, and tried to think of a plan.

"If we get into a conflict," he said. "Then the odds that we get to the prison before they have a chance to move them becomes very slim." The others nodded, and tried to think of a solution.

"We can stall them," Olivia finally said. "We can draw most of their attention."

"Are you insane?" Jaune asked.

"She's right," Stephen contributed. "None of their weapons are getting through my armor, nor Ouru's fur. Lupa and Orni are too fast for them to catch them. We can draw them off, and at least give you enough time to get them."

"What is the others come after you?" Gwen asked. "Do you think that you can hold off Cinder?"

"Absolutely," Lou replied. "And she won't come for us. You," Lou pointed at Derek. "Are her main concern." _I hate it that they're doing this. _He sighed, and gestured for them to continue. Olivia flew up into the air, and flew to the center of the room. She started to fire off some feathers, and let out a couple of screams. The guards were distracted long enough for the rest of LOOS to get to the center of the room without them noticing. They became preoccupied long enough for JNPR, DRGN, and RWBY to run at the hallway. Derek melted off the lock, and opened up the door. He started to walk down the halls, with everyone closely trailing him.

"We're close," he said quietly, looking at his scroll.

"Stop!" Someone yelled out from behind them. They turned to see an unknown group of mercenaries standing right behind them. All of them wore black robes, and all of them wielded swords. "You're not going anywhere." Weiss looked at them, and made a decision.

"Go Derek," she said. "We'll keep them busy." Derek didn't question it, and ran further down the hall. Weiss just hoped that she would be correct, and that someone that would require Derek's skill set was waiting at the front of the prison.

Derek kept going down the hall, until he reached a door with someone out front. His eyes narrowed in anger, as he recognized who it was.

"You," he said.

"Hello again Drake," the swordsman replied. "We meet again." Derek spread his wings, and extended his spikes.

"Let's see how well you do when I'm at full strength." Derek poised his sword and spear at the swordsman.

"Yes, that matchup is rather unfavorable to me. Xander." _Xander? _Derek heard a slight hiss, but then he felt the force of 32 small explosions hit next to him. He was thrown across the room, and he struggled to sit up. He saw someone with scars going down one side of their face, and with two similar cone shapes pointed at him. Derek got up, and he gingerly stretched out his wings. _Not as powerful as whatever hit me the last time we met, but I'm still weaker._

"Open wide asshole," Xander said. Derek blew out a column of flames, but the second cone shape fired off several streams of water, extinguishing the flames and dousing Derek. He coughed out the water, and got down on his knees. _This isn't going well. _"Told you I'd get him Bush," Xander said confidently.

"You did well," Bush replied. "Now Drake," Bush drew his sword, and raised it up. "Shall we begin?" Derek got to his feet, and changed his stance. Bush ran forward, and Derek danced out of the way. He swung his spear low, but Bush blocked the strike easily. Derek swung around his sword and Bush ducked out of the way. He tried to sweep out Derek's feet, but he managed to jump up in time. _I'm in a much more favorable position this time. He can't compete like this for very long. _

Bush was circling around Drake, and his concern was at a high level. He didn't realize how much Drake's thoughts reflected his fears. He looked behind Drake to see Xander raise up his weapons. Bush nodded, and started to angle Drake in the right way. He was almost-.

"This is a nice thought," Drake said. "But I absolutely see your friend behind me."

"Who needs surprise," Xander replied, smiling. Before he could fire, a wild yell erupted in the room. Xander turned in time to see a fist slam into his face. He flew back, but rolled up. He saw a blonde girl with flames coming out of her.

"Back off," she said. Xander rolled his wrists, and smiled.

"You must be the sister," he told her. "Yang. You know, I wonder how long your sister would last under my... Unsupervised care." Yang ran forward, and Xander spun out of the way. Before he could swing his Hive into her back, she pivoted back around and swung her fist into his stomach. He stumbled back, and then raised up his weapons. "Well you are faster then I thought blondie, but let's see if you are faster then 64 explosions." Yang hesitated, and Xander let his fingers rest on the triggers of Hive and Nest. Just as he pulled the trigger, a white glyph appeared in front of him, launching him backwards. He slowly got up, and looked around. A girl with white hair was standing in front of him, and to the left of blondie.

"She said back off," the girl replied.

"Alright Ms. Fancy," Xander said. "Let's get this going." He raised up his weapons, and started to calculate. He looked back to see Bush locking swords with Drake, and he sighed. He got to deal with two girls, and he got to deal with one person. Xander pulled the trigger, and Fancy raised up a glyph to block the explosions. Xander ran forward, and slid under the glyph. He swung around Hive into Fancy's stomach, and then tried to swing around Nest into blondie's stomach. She quickly kicked him away, and he got back up. He ran forward, and swung around his weapons at her. Blondie blocked both of the strikes, and then bought her knee into his stomach. He stumbled back, and felt a strong swing to his side. He stood up, and saw Fancy with her sword raised up. He felt his side, and he could tell that he was hurting.

"Alright you two," he said. "You've got me." He slowly lowered his weapons, and Fancy and blondie lowered their guards. Xander smiled, and pulled the triggers just off the ground. They were both thrown bsck, and Xander stood up. "Dumb bitches," he smiled. He raised up his weapons, and got ready to take the kill shot. He felt a strong force in his back, and he fell over. He pushed it off, and saw Bush right next to him. Drake was standing over him, and he growled.

"Give me the key," he demanded. Xander tossed up his remote, and then stood up. "What does this control?"

"Time to find out dragon," Xander said. He fired off his weapons, and blew Drake back. He grabbed Bush, and stood him up. "Let's get out of here."

"What about the prisoners?" Bush asked.

"Who the fuck cares? You want to deal with them? We'll say they got past us." Bush didn't like it, but he followed Xander's lead and bolted.

Derek got up, and watched the two of them leave. He growled, and faced Weiss and Yang.

"Are you okay?" He asked. They both got up, and nodded. "I managed to get a remote. It doesn't look like it's to the cells."

"What do we do?" Yang asked. Derek looked down at the handle, and started to blow out a stream of fire, starting to melt off the walk. He took a brief break to get his breath, and looked at them.

"How did you get here?" He asked.

"We heard the explosion," Weiss said. "And we realized that you might need help. We slipped away from the group, and went after you." Derek finally got through the lock, and he opened up the door. He quickly ran inside, trailed by Weiss and Yang. He looked at the cells, and tried to figure out which ones they were in.

"Derek?" Someone asked. He turned to his left, and smiled widely.

"Monica!" He said.

"Can you get me out of here?" Derek looked down at the remote, and thought about it. _This will do one of two things. _He clicked on one of the buttons, and the door didn't open. Monica smiled widely though. "Back away from the door." Derek, Yang, and Weiss complied. Monica raised up her hand, and fired off a bolt of lightning at the door. It flew off it's hinges, and Monica ran out. She quickly threw herself in Derek's arms, and just held on.

"Why didn't you do that sooner?"

"Because we had these cuffs on. It wouldn't let me use my semblance." Derek nodded, and held her close. He let go, and looked at the other cells.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

"Blake is right there," Monica said, as she was being hugged by Yang. "We were next to each other, and Ruby was on the other side." Derek walked up to Blake's cell, and looked in.

"Blake?" He asked.

"Oh good," Blake said as she stepped out from behind the door. "I thought that maybe they were doing something else. Can you get me out." Derek held his hand up to the lock, and heated it up. He soon broke through the lock, and opened up the door. Before he got a chance, Yang ran up to Blake and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said.

"Me too," Blake replied, holding Yang close. Derek joined in on the hug, and Monica and Weiss made it a big group hug. "Shouldn't we get Ruby?" Everyone backed off from Blake, and walked over to Ruby's cell.

"Yang!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Ruby!" Yang replied. They both looked at each other, until Derek coughed loudly. "Right." Yang backed away, and Derek set his hand on the lock. He quickly melted it off, and then let the door fall. Yang and Weiss both ran up to Ruby, and held her in a hug. Derek, Monica, and Blake finally joined in. They held each other there for a moment, but Derek backed away.

"We still have to get out of here," he said. "Let's get going." The five of them nodded, and started to run outside.

"Wait!" Ruby called out. "Our weapons."

"Where are they?" Ruby pointed to the back room. "Oh." Derek ran to the back of the room, and melted off the lock. He swung the door open, and the three of them grabbed their weapons. "Now, we leave." Derek lead them out, and started to run to the rest of the group.

_Pathway to Hidden Bullheads_

The five of them were running to get to the airships. The base was being taken one level at a time, and they were running out of time. Cinder finally said they should leave, and messaged Xander and Bush to meet them, along with calling on a full retreat for everyone. Xander and Bush ran up to them, and Cinder stopped.

"Where are the prisoners?" She asked.

"They showed up," Xander said. "The dragon and his friends. They drove us back, and we decided to leave them."

"What?"

"It's fine. No way they got them out." Torchwick pulled out his scroll, and shook his head. He tossed it to Cinder, and she frowned disapprovingly.

"You're lucky we still need you," she said. "You two, get to the ship and wait for us. The rest of you, we have some students to hunt."

_Main Room: Level 7_

Derek and the other five had finally gotten to the main room, and rejoined everyone else. Everyone watched the guards retreat, and had no issues. They were all content with that, and none of them really wanted to pick a fight. It was a warm reunion, and everyone was very happy. But there was one thing going through Derek's mind. _Where did Cinder and company go?_

"Alright," he finally said. "Time to go hunting." He looked at his scroll, and found a small pathway that lead to airships. "I'm off." He started to walk away, but several people called out to him.

"Where are you going?" Monica asked.

"To get the big fish." Derek continued to walk, and Monica made a decision.

"Well DRGN's going with you." Derek faced her, a glaring look in his eyes. "Just let us. Everyone else will continue to drive them back, and we'll help you with this." Derek sighed, and gestured for them to follow. The other three teams watched them leave, and hoped that he could pull this off.

DRGN ran down the hall, looking for the five of the main people.

"I think that they left," Gwen finally said. "They have no reason to stay, so why would they?" _She's right. I might of have lost them again._

"Oh but there are reasons," someone said from around the corner. Cinder, Torchwick, Adam, and the twins all emerged from their hiding points. "Hello Drake," Cinder said. "I believe that we are in need of your services."

"In your dreams," Nathan said, flipping around his axe. Torchwick popped open his cane, and fired off a few shots. DRGN scattered, and dove away from each other. Nathan stood up, and looked around him. He lifted his head up to Torchwick standing above him, his cane resting on his shoulder.

"Hello little wolf," he said. "You look lost." Nathan spun around his axe, and tried to catch Torchwick sleeping. He jumped up in the air, and swung around his cane into Nathan. Nathan flew back, but quickly got on his feet. He swung his axe into the ground, and froze Torchwick's feet. Torchwick grumbled, and Nathan swung his axe into him. Torchwick was thrown from the ice, and he looked up at Nathan. He grumbled again and fired off a shot. Nathan rose his axe to absorb most of the damage, but he was still thrown back.

Gwen was circling around Cinder, neither of them were willing to make a move. Finally, Gwen swung around some wind at her, and Cinder dodged the attack. She fired off a column of flames, and Gwen threw it to the side. Neither of their main abilities could really effect each other, so they were left a standstill. Gwen heard a hiss, and then an explosion behind her. She was thrown forward, and away from Cinder. She looked over to see Torchwick, his cane smoking.

"I would prefer to not lose my employer," Torchwick said. She nodded, and they prepared to leave.

When Monica stood up, the twins were standing over her.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Miltia said.

"And let's see how similar the results are," Melanie said. Monica electrified the ground, and the twins had to back off.

"Pleasure's all mine bitches," Monica replied calmly. Miltia ran forward, and swung her claws at Monica. She blocked the strike, and filled her claws with electricity. Miltia was thrown back, and Melanie filled her spot. She swung around her shoe at her, and Monica jumped back. She swung around her spear at Melanie, but she spun out of the way. Melanie kicked the spear out of her hands, and then ran forward. Monica jumped up into the air, and swung her fist into her stomach. Melanie backed up, and Monica brought her knee into her chin. Melanie fell back, and Monica reached over to grab her spear. When she turned back, the twins were already running away.

Derek let another shotgun shell from Adam reflect off of his chest. He marched forward, and Adam finally swung around his sword. Derek blocked it, and threw the weapon to the side. He ripped the shotgun from Adam's grasp, and looked straight down at him.

"Now," Derek said. "You pay."

Torchwick and Cinder watched the twins come running up to them, and they smiled approvingly. They looked further back, and saw Derek standing over Adam.

"Save him," Cinder said impatiently. "We need him for our future plans." Torchwick grumbled, and fired off a shot. The shot slammed into Derek's back, and he was thrown from Adam. Adam got up, grabbed his weapons, and ran over to them.

"You're lucky I want you alive," Cinder told him. "Seal the tunnel." Torchwick fired off several shots at the roof, and it collapsed.

Derek got up in time to watch the roof crumble in front of him.

"NO!" He yelled out. "I had him!" _And so he lives another day._

**End: LONG CHAPTER! I got into a decent flow, so I didn't want to break this up into two parts. I also forgot to write it while re-writing this initially, but I crossed 40 followers! I am amazed at the support that I'm receiving for this story, so thank you all. Also, this chapter and the next chapter will be the last times I leave a reminder for voting for the series of one-shots. Any other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated. **


	46. Chapter 46

Child of Grimm Ch. 46

**Last call for the one-shot thing. I don't want to leave another reminder to do so after this, so if no votes I'll either do one anyway or just leave it.**

The bullhead ride back to Beacon was filled with joy. Ruby and Blake couldn't get away from Yang, even if they wanted too. Derek allowed Monica to roam around the space, but he still kept a close eye and close hold on her. He didn't want to lose her again. The bullhead eventually landed, and everyone was greeted warmly by Ozpin.

"It's good to have you three back," he said. "As a reward, there will be no classes today or tomorrow for your teams." Everyone started to high five each other, and Ozpin just smiled. It was times like these that made him happy to have his job. The four teams left for their respective dorms, and Ozpin left for his office.

_DRGN's Dorm_

Derek opened up the door, and let the other three pile in. Gwen and Nathan were bouncing Monica between the two of them, talking to her happily. Derek walked in, and looked at how happy she seemed.

"I hope that I don't kill the mood," Derek said. "But how did you handle the captivity?"

"You're not," Monica replied. "I handled it fairly well. I just worked on keeping up on my strength." Derek nodded, and then walked over to her, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Good." Nathan and Gwen just let the scene unfold. _It is a good day for team DRGN_

_Team RWBY's Dorm_

Ruby and Blake were in the dorm for a brief moment before Yang wrapped them both in another hug.

"I'm so happy you're back," Yang said.

"I noticed," Blake replied, struggling for air.

"Yang," Ruby said. "I-can't-."

"They can't breathe," Weiss finally called out. Yang released her grip a little, and let Blake and Ruby start to catch their breaths.

"Sorry," Yang said.

"It's fine," Ruby replied. "I'm used to it." Blake recovered, and stood up fully. Yang immediately reached forward again, and Blake shadow'd up into the air out of the way. Yang looked at her partner with a pouty look. Blake sighed, and walked up to her partner. They both engaged in one big hug, and Yang just held her close. She had felt like she almost lost her, and now they were back together. She didn't want to let go. Finally, Yang did, and immediately turned her sights on Ruby. Ruby ran forward, and held onto her sister. Ruby had never been separated from her sister for that long, and now she felt comfortable back in her arms. Ruby let go of Yang, and she looked at her.

"I should of have asked this earlier," Yang said. "But did they hurt you? Any of you?"

"No," Blake replied. "They didn't hurt any of us. They took good care of us, though Monica busted her wrist trying to break out of her cuffs."

"I'm glad they didn't hurt you." Ruby finally looked at Weiss, and paused for a moment.

"Can I hug you Weiss?" Ruby asked. Weiss was smiling, but now the smile was replaced by a look of confusion.

"What?" She asked, more then a little flustered.

"I just missed you, and I was scared, and I want to hug you now. I don't know why." Before Weiss could reply, Ruby ran forward and wrapped the heiress in a big hug. Weiss hesitated, but hugged back. She had been struggling with feelings towards Ruby, especially since she had left. Now, Weiss wasn't required to keep up her regal air, or her cold personality, now she could just be comforting her partner and not worry about the consequences.

"Weiss?" A voice brought her back to reality. She looked down at her partner. "You can let go now." Weiss let go of Ruby, her face bright red.

"Sorry," Weiss said quickly. "I just-." Weiss now dead stopped. What could she say? If she hadn't zoned out, then she wouldn't be in this position. Ruby just brought Weiss in another hug, and pulled herself up close to her ear.

"You don't have to say anything," she whispered quietly. "I understand." Weiss brought her arms around Ruby, closed her eyes, and let the happiness consume her. Blake and Yang were watching, with Yang looking furious.

"Yang," Blake said, putting her hand on Yang's chest. "Calm down."

"She's my little sister," Yang hissed. "I don't want Weiss to hurt her." Blake could feel the temperature rise around them, and she quickly wrapped Yang in a hug.

"Ruby and Weiss seem happy," she whispered into her ear. "Let them be happy." Yang sighed, and hugged her back. Blake pulled out of the hug, and Yang surprise Blake and herself by bringing her in for a kiss. Yang immediately backed away from Blake in shock at her own actions. She knew that she had acted on something that she wanted to do, but she had gone too soon. What if Blake didn't reciprocate the feelings? Just as the thought crossed through her mind, Blake pulled Yang close again, only in a hug.

"It's okay Yang," Blake said. The two pairs just sat there, hugging each other for a very long time.

_Elsewhere_

Cinder had begun to get resettled into the new base, her head in her hands. They had caused another setback in the plan. She was starting to think that Drake wasn't valuable enough to justify losing all of the resources that she had lost in the process.

"You wanted to see me?" Someone asked at the door. Cinder turned, and saw Xander standing there.

"Hello Xander," she said. "Come in." He walked into the room, and Cinder took a good look at him. "What is the one thing I payed you for?"

"To stop Drake and let Bush finish him off, or something like that."

"Yes, and what did you do? You ran away from them." Xander shrugged.

"I could tell that if we were to stay, they would kill us and get the prisoners anyway. You hired me because of my semblance, so I suggest that you listen to it."

"Yes, your semblance is quite useful. Have you told the others?" Xander shook his head. "Good. Keep it a secret for now, keep calling it feelings." Xander nodded, and went to leave. "And one more thing." Xander faced Cinder again, and tilted his head. "You and Bush will accompany myself and the twins a business deal. Are you ready for that?" Xander smiled.

"Of course." He left the room, and Cinder pulled up the bio. His track record showed a loss against one of them, but so did the twins. They did their job. Time to see if he was willing to join.

**End: Bumblebee and White Rose! Someone is really happy about this {me!} I've been trying to work this in for a while. Sorry for the short chapter, but I feel like I gave myself some leeway with the 5k+ chapter previously. Also, I do have a request. If anyone can draw that's keeping tabs with this story is feeling incredibly generous, can you draw my OC's {DRGN, not necessarily LOOS or Xander/Bush}? And if you are feeling like Santa, could you also draw DRGN in the same style as the main RWBY thing so I could use it for a banner for my story? Ex because that was a shitty example: morelikethis/375470844?view_mode=2 A reply to that, questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	47. Chapter 47

Child of Grimm Ch. 47

**There is one comment saying that they would do the drawing, but ignore that for right now. He said it would take a long time to get it started, so if you want to do it then please feel free to start. Anyway, here we go. Also, happy RWBY relationship week. Absolutely forgot it last time, but yeah that's why I rushed the Bumblebee a little bit.**

The car stopped out in front of the bar, and the door opened. Cinder stepped out, and looked around at the front. The front had a fair amount of windows, and it was made of fairly standard stone. She looked behind her to see the twins, Xander, and Bush all piling out of the car. Cinder wordlessly opened up the door, and walked in. The club was blaring dance music, and she just looked around fairly uninterested. The others walked in, and took a look around. Cinder finally spotted what she was looking for, and she signaled for the others to walk with her. She approached the bar, and sat down.

"Margarita," she ordered. "On the rocks." The man next to her turned to face her, but his eyes were quickly drawn elsewhere.

"You two again," he grumbled. The twins both smiled, and waved. "Alright lady, what do you want?"

"Oh Junior," Cinder said in an exasperated tone. "I'm here in our mutual interest."

"That's why you dragged over two of my former help here?"

"They're former help. Why should it matter?"

"Because I've improved my security."

"As I'm sure you have." Xander let his hands rest on his weapons, while Bush did the same with his sword. "Now, Junior, I have an employment opportunity for you."

"Why should I accept?" Junior challenged.

"Because it would be much more beneficial to you." Junior took a long look at her. "You would be in a position of power, and this is just a sample of your pay." Cinder pulled out a case, and opened it up. Junior took a long look at the contents, and smiled.

"What's your name?"

"Cinder."

"Well then Cinder," Junior put on his sunglasses, and gestured to his guards. The guards all were wearing red suits with black ties, the reverse of his former helps outfits. "Consider us your new employees." Cinder smiled.

"I believe that we'll have much to work with."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek woke up, and stretched out. Yesterday had been fun, and now they had one more day to celebrate the return of Monica, Ruby, and Blake. He checked the time, and he realized that there was no time for a morning flight. _Plenty of time for a morning shower. _He quickly made sure that he had no signs of flames on him, and stepped into the bathroom. He quickly locked the door, and turned on the water. He rarely took showers, mostly due to the fact that he could burn off almost everything that water could clean off. But still, it was good to keep clean on almost everything every once in a while. The water also just rolled off of his scales very easily, which made for a short shower. He stepped in, and took in the cleaning products. Most of them belonged to Monica and Gwen, with a small space dedicated for Nathan. Derek only had one bottle of body wash, and he hadn't needed a new one in a while. He turned on the water, and quickly cleaned himself off. He stepped out of the shower, and just heated himself up to dry off. He tossed on his armor and clothes, and walked into the room.

"And so the dragon does shower," Nathan said almost immediately.

"Didn't have time to fly," Derek said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "Otherwise, I wouldn't of have."

"Still, you should probably do that more often." Derek growled at him. "Moni, help me out?"

"I don't want to get involved," she called out as she tied the laces on her boots.

"If this was when we first met," Derek said. "You probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"But now we're best buds," Nathan said, extending his arms.

"No." Nathan dead stopped, and backed up. Derek smiled at him, showing off his teeth. "Keep in mind, that whole 'I-will-kill-you' demeanor still exists inside of me."

"Point taken." Nathan tossed up his axe absentmindedly, and caught it on the way down. "Where to D?"

"Breakfast," Derek replied. _Where some interesting things might be revealed. _He looked over and saw that Monica had strapped on her spear, and Gwen had put on her jacket. "Let's head out." He walked out the door, and they left for the dinning room.

_Hidden Complex_

"You really think that bringing him into this operation is a good idea?"

"Better then keeping Adam, which you two are very keen on."

"She's right. Junior is a very good asset to have working with us. What of the hybrid?"

"What do you two think? Nothing. He's not worth all of this trouble."

"That is a decision that all three of us are meant to vote on. Junior should be able to assist in taking him down, so use him."

"I think that we should hear her out. What exactly do you mean?"

"He had torn through two facilities, one of them ours. Trying to trap him isn't working."

"We'll consider what you've said. Goodbye for now Cinder."

"Goodbye." The feed ended, and Cinder sat down. He would try and insist on pushing forward, while she would consider. Though Cinder was the only one who actually had to deal with him at any point in time.

"You wanted to see me?" Someone asked from the door.

"Yes," she replied. "Come in Roman." Torchwick entered the room, and looked at the two scrolls setup in the room.

"How did the meeting go?"

"They'd consider it, but that's besides the point. I need someone to take the second in command role. The twins aren't here for anything other then fighting, Junior just got here, Xander isn't someone whom I want as a second in command, Bush isn't quite elaborate enough to take the role, and I don't even need to tell you why Adam isn't an option. So that leaves me with you." Torchwick smiled. "You'll just go about making sure that everyone does their job, and you'll have power to veto any decisions that they make." Torchwick nodded.

"I will make sure to do a very good job in my new role."

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

DRGN looked around briefly for their friends, and then went to join them at their tables. They sat down, and greeted everyone.

"How is it that they're always here first?" Monica asked.

"Haven't we been over this?" Nathan asked. "Many times."

"Hey, I just got out of captivity. Cut me some slack."

"Fine, it was Gwen's fault." Gwen stared daggers at him. "Well I can't blame myself or D."

"He has a point," Blake said.

"So I never got to ask," Jaune asked. "How did you guys hold up?"

"Fine," Monica replied. "I busted my own wrist, which was kind of embarrassing. Otherwise, they left us alone for the most part. They talked to us a couple of times, tried to get us to join up."

"And?" Nora asked.

"What do you think?" Blake asked.

"That you said no and then broke their legs." Everyone paused at her words. Sometimes, she was a little bit too crazy.

"Part of that is true," Ruby contributed. "They didn't visit me though."

"Good," Yang said. "You would of have said no anyway." She nudged her sister playfully, and Derek just waited. _Soon enough, it has to come out. _

"Anything interesting planned for the reunion?" Derek asked. Monica took a hard stare at him, and their answer would determine her response.

"No," Yang said. "I mean, we plan on doing some things, but nothing that I would call interesting."

"Good," Monica said. "I might of have had to kill him if you said yes." Derek looked at Gwen, and nodded. They had both discussed their plans beforehand.

"Anything that we could join you on?" Gwen asked RWBY. They all quickly shook their heads. "But, if it's a friend activity you would have nothing to worry about." Derek filled his mouth with food to keep from smiling.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "But this is just an inner-team thing." Gwen nodded, and resumed eating. She shook her head at Derek, and he sighed slightly.

"Well it's good to have you back," Pyrrha said. "I know that everyone missed you three, especially Derek, Weiss, and Yang." Now Weiss' face turned slightly red. Derek tilted his head at her reaction. _Unusual. I thought that they sorted this out. _He finished up his food, and went to clear his tray. He placed down the tray, and he could hear someone walking up behind him. He turned to see Blake right behind him.

"Hey Blake," he said, just as he set down his tray.

"Hey Derek," she replied. "Can I ask you something?" Derek gestured for to go ahead as he turned to walk back to the table. Blake quickly placed her hand on his chest, and looked him in the eyes. "Alone." Now Derek was interested. "I know that we're only separated by a wall, and it doesn't matter how quietly we talked. Did you hear it?"

"Hear what exactly?" Derek asked, leading Blake on. She smiled at him.

"So that's a yes." Derek nodded. "Why are you having Gwen try and get it out of us?"

"Confirmation for the rest of the group," he explained. "Plus, I heard everything. I must admit, I'm amazed that Weiss made it beyond Yang."

"That was my doing." Derek nodded, and smiled.

"So that thing you have planned is a double date of some sort?" Blake nodded.

"Yang insisted."

"Most likely to kill Weiss if she tries anything." Blake smiled, and they both walked back to the table.

**End: Before it gets asked, I will not be doing the double date. I suck at writing things like that, so I'm going to avoid it at all costs. Also, I didn't realize this but I passed 35 favorites at some point and I just passed 45 followers. Thank you for the continued support of this story. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	48. Chapter 48

Child of Grimm Ch. 48

**While I will not bring up the one-shot thing again {apart from this example}, I'm going to become really annoying about the drawing. And by really annoying, I mean I'll bring it up once every couple of chapters.**

"So what exactly do you need from me?"

"It really is quite simple. Your knowledge, your men, and your weapon. One of the people we're facing, well he needs to be weakened first. You happen to have a tool to do so."

"Good. When is our first attack?"

"Not yet. We still need dust for our... Big plan."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek was sitting on his bed, listening to the conversations going on next to their dorm. He had a smile on his face the whole time. _This is going to go amazing if they ever get out of the dorm._

"How do you not own anything else?" He could hear Weiss ask.

"I don't know," Ruby replied. "I just didn't think I would need anything else."

"What's the big deal anyway?" Yang added in. "She's already dressed in a skirt, and you're not changing."

"Neither are we," Blake contributed.

"Fine," Weiss gave in. "She can stay the same."

"Thank you Weiss," Ruby said.

"We should get going," Yang said. The door opened up, and Derek leaned back on his bed.

"Wait," Ruby said. "How are we going to get there? All we have is Bumblebee." Derek did his best to stifle a laugh, and then listened in a little more.

"I could ask for a car," Weiss contributed.

"And leave Bumblebee?" Yang asked, clearly horrified.

"I don't see much of another choice. Unless one of us knows of another vehicle." Derek thought for a long time, seeing if maybe he had a solution. _I could offer to fly them. Though, that's not exactly romantic._

"I can drive," Ruby said. Derek looked up in surprise, and he could hear others doing the same.

"You okay D?" Monica asked.

"Fine," Derek replied, realizing that he had showed visible signs that he was listening in.

"When have you been able to drive?" Weiss asked.

"Oh," Yang said. "Right. I taught her when I got Bumblebee."

"How long ago was that?"

"Details aren't really that important."

"Call in and see if you can get us a car," Ruby said. "We'll ride behind you guys." Derek leaned back in his bed, and he could see Gwen staring at him.

"What?" He asked.

"You were listening in on something," she declared. "Your facial expression, your posture, and the axis of your head all suggest it." Derek took a long look at her. _I hate that you can do that. _"Spill." Monica and Nathan noticed that they were talking.

"What's going on?" Monica asked.

"Nothing," Gwen called back. They both resumed their discussion, and Gwen stared down Derek. He knew that she would inform the others of his findings if he didn't tell her.

"Do you remember what I asked you to do earlier?" Derek said quietly.

"Try and see if RWBY got involved in relationships," Gwen replied.

"Exactly. Anyway, that was more for the others convenience then mine. I already knew, and Blake told me that they are going on a double date."

"Double date? Please tell me Weiss and Ruby is one pair." Derek nodded. "Yes. Jaune and Pyrrha owe us 20 lien a piece." Derek tilted his head to the side. "Me and Nathan. Remember?"

"Right." Derek leaned back in his bed, and then looked up at her. "Do not tell Nathan until RWBY is ready to inform everyone else, understood?"

"I got you D," Gwen said. "I won't tell anyone until then." Derek nodded, and walked over to join Monica and Nathan, and Gwen trailed him.

_Hidden Complex_

"A simple dust shop to get us going again should be enough? Any questions?"

"Just one. Who will be going on this?"

"Time to give Junior a chance to prove himself, and Xander and Bush a chance to redeem themselves. Inform them Roman."

"Already done Cinder."

_Beacon Academy: Outside: A few hours later_

Ruby parked the rental car outside of Beacon, while Yang just drove Bumblebee back to it's permanent residence. Ruby exited the white sports car, and Weiss trailed her shortly.

"That's a nice car," Ruby said.

"Same one that my dad rented for our freighter trip," Weiss replied. "Someone will be by shortly to pick it up." Ruby nodded, and just stood awkwardly. It was already in winter, and her combat skirt wasn't exactly the definition of warmth. Weiss seemed to be fairing slightly better, but not by much. Ruby recognized that they were both feeling cold, and she stretched out her cloak and held her arm out for Weiss.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"We're both cold," Ruby replied. "This will help keep us warm." Weiss reluctantly moved closer to her partner, and let her wrap the both of them in her cloak.

_Beacon Garage_

Yang put a hard break on Bumblebee, and spun it around into it's parking space. She hopped off, and Blake cautiously followed.

"That was fun," Yang beamed. "It's often I get to take my baby out." Blake smiled at her partner's joy.

"It was a fun night," she replied simply.

"We should probably get back to my sister." Blake nodded, and both of them started to walk back to the front of Beacon. "I hope that Weiss hasn't done anything," Yang stated.

"For her sake, I have to agree. Though, don't you think that you're being a little too protective?"

"She's my baby sister, so I'm going with no." Blake shrugged and kept walking forward.

"I hope I'm not intruding too much if I ask exactly what your relationship with Ruby is." Yang hesitated before she continued.

"I think that that's something that we'll keep to ourselves for right now." They continued to walk on in with the occasional word from Yang. When they reached out front, Blake and Yang saw Weiss and Ruby curled up in her cloak.

"Hey guys," Ruby called out. "Can we go inside now?" Everyone laughed, and agreed.

Team RWBY was making there way to the dorm, when someone entered in from the hall window.

"Derek?" Ruby asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Nathan thought it would be funny to lock the window in our room," Derek explained angrily. "I didn't expect to see you four back from your night though." Blake looked over at Yang, and leaned in close.

"He knows about all of us," she whispered. Yang looked at her surprised, but Derek just shrugged.

"If that's the reason that I was to show up here, I would of have landed outside of the school and waited for you to return. On that note however, how was it?"

"Fun," Ruby replied. "Right guys?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go deal with Nathan." Derek pulled out his scroll, and opened up the door to his dorm. RWBY watched him enter, and walked into their own dorm.

Nathan's heart dropped when he saw Derek enter the room.

"Hey D," he said nervously. "What brings you in through the front door?"

"Did you not think that the hall window was unlocked?" Nathan paused for a long time.

"Clearly I didn't think this through." Derek sighed, and jumped onto his bed.

"You're lucky I'm in an otherwise good mood."

"Because of the holidays?" Gwen asked from across the room. Derek sat up in his bed.

"The what?"

"The holidays."

"Didn't we just come off of holidays?"

"There are some close together," Monica said. "The first holidays our families can visit us since they're short, and this time we get an option to go home."

"Why is there only a few weeks between holidays?" Monica shrugged. "That seems like poor planning."

"Well I can tell you that I'm going home," Nathan said.

"As am I," Gwen contributed. Derek saw the hesitant look in Monica's eyes.

"I understand if you're going home too," Derek said. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then worry came into her eyes again.

"What will you do?" Derek looked at the dorm, and pictured it empty.

"I'll stay here I guess. I can't be the only student that will stay." Monica shrugged, but still looked worried about him. "Moni, I'll be fine. I was on my own for quite some time, and I tried to ignore you for even longer. I think that I can survive-." He looked over at Gwen. She held up three fingers. "That long, really? Anyway, I think that I can survive three weeks on my own. LOOS will be here."

"Still," Monica began again. "You could always come with one of us." Derek looked at Monica for a long time, and considered it carefully.

"I think that I'll stay here," he decided. "It would seem odd for you to date someone for a few weeks, and then he shows up for the holidays." Monica nodded, understanding that his mind was set.

"Well I'm going to sleep," Gwen said. "Tomorrow is our last day of classes."

"And on top of the two holidays being so close, we got two of our final three days off. This makes no sense. But goodnight Gwen." She hopped into her bed, and Monica quickly followed. Nathan looked over at Derek, and saw him waiting by the window, and hesitated.

"Don't go out for a night flight," Nathan said.

"Don't worry about that," Derek said dismissively. "I have no plans." Nathan looked concerned, but he fell asleep. Once he was out, Derek lit a ball of flames. _It's been a while since I've tried to use this. Let's see if I still can. _He pushed the ball of flames out, and then separated it. _Still works. _He quickly started to fashion the flames in the way that he wanted too, and soon he had an image. He looked at it sadly. It was a picture of two people, holding each other and a small baby. _So many years ago today. Everything changed. _He quickly slashed his claws through the image, and got rid of it. He walked over to his bed, and looked at the identical image next to his bed.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	49. Chapter 49

Child of Grimm Ch. 49

Derek woke up, and quickly sat up. He looked around at his teams, and noticed them staring at a box in the room. _Are they really up before me?_

"What is it?" Derek asked. Monica turned to face him, and tossed him some clothes. He held them up, and his face contorted in disgust. The first of the items was an athletics shirt with the words _Beacon Academy _on the front. The actual shirt was a deep gray, with a light gray Beacon Academy logo, and the letters were in red. The second of them was just gray athletic shorts.

"It's for our only course remaining," Monica explained. "Advance fitness."

"You must be joking."

"I wish." Derek sighed deeply. _I don't need advance fitness. I am the epitome of advanced fitness. _"Well I guess we should get dressed." Derek quickly tossed off his pajama shirt, and tossed on the gray athletics shirt. He extended the spikes across his body, and ripped two holes in the back with his wings. He put on the shorts, and used his knee spikes to prevent it from going all the way over his knees. He looked over to see the others looking at how modified his already was.

"Team LOOS is going to love this," Derek remarked, remembering his Grimm friends. They just nodded slowly, and all of them took off for advanced fitness.

_Advanced Fitness: Professor Doli Tuf_

"Welcome to the first installment of advanced fitness," the teacher said. He was a stocky, bald man with light blue eyes. All of his bulk appeared to be muscle. "My name is Professor Doli Tuf, or just Professor Tuf. I hope that you're ready." Derek looked around, beyond his team. He could see RWBY, JNPR, LOOS, CRDL, and a few other teams all in the open gymnasium. It had a standard boxing ring, hurdles, a track, a small target range, and several weight lifting stations. Nothing interested Derek. Apart from LOOS, no one could actually compete with his sheer physical capabilities. And even then, most of them couldn't keep up with him because of the third dose he received.

"I'm sure that you're wondering what we'll be doing," Tuf continued. "You'll be boxing, practicing aim, running, and lifting weights. I hope that all of you lift." Derek was tempted to toss up a ball of fire, but he was able to restrain himself. "Now, for future reference, I want you to keep this clothes looking in as good of a condition as possible." He shot accusatory looks at Derek and LOOS. Olivia and Lou had kept theirs fine, but Orion, Derek, and Stephen completely trashed their outfits.

"If I may," Derek said. "I had good reasons too, as did my other two friends." Derek extended his spikes, and showed off his wings.

"Yes I can see that," Tuf continued, clearly not interested. "Now, let's get started. I want everyone to go with their partners from the forest, and find boxing match ups."

"Professor Tuf," Olivia called out. "What do we do?"

"Oh right. You didn't run the forest. For now, find other activities to do." LOOS shrugged, and walked over to the weights. _Picking something easier for them to dodge this guy. I don't blame them. _Derek looked over at Monica, and then looked at Nathan and Gwen.

"No thanks," Nathan said. "I think I'll pass."

"How about us?" Nora asked Nathan, Ren trailing just behind her.

"Seems like a better alternative to me." The two pairs walked off, while Derek and Monica noticed everyone walking away from them.

"Afraid of a good fight?" Monica taunted.

"Nope," someone said from behind them. Derek and Monica turned to see Yang and Blake standing right behind them.

"So you want a fight?" Derek asked, clearly amused.

"Absolutely," Yang said confidently.

"Okay," Tuf called out. "Now, I want everyone to pick someone to fight." Blake looked at Derek, and Yang eyed Monica. "Now, I want one of the fights to break away from each other, and pick someone else." Blake immediately walked away from Derek, and went elsewhere. _Coward. _He walked around, until he found what he hopped to see.

"Hello Cardin," he said simply. Cardin looked around at him in surprise. "Let's be paired."

"Alright then," Cardin said. "I will take you down." _Arrogance is still a rather prominent trait in you. _

"Let's start things off in an interesting manner," Tuf called out. "Will Mr. Flame and Mr. Winchester please enter the arena?" Derek took the right corner, and jumped in. Cardin took the left corner, and stared him down. "Fight!" Cardin ran forward, and Derek easily stepped out of the way of the wild strike. Cardin turned around, and swung hard into Derek's stomach.

"AH!" Cardin yelled out. _What a moron. _Derek swung around his fist into Cardin's back, and then his head. Cardin fell over, completely unconscious.

"Well then Mr. Flame," Tuf began. "It seems like you are quite strong. Will you drag Mr. Winchester off of the arena and join LOOS in the weight lifting area?" Derek nodded, and started to bring Cardin out. "Let's have Ms. Rogue and Ms. Xiao Long go next." Monica and Yang squared off from each other, and both of them took a boxer's stance. "Fight!" Yang rushed forward, and swung around her fist at Monica's head. Monica ducked out of the way, and swung around her fist in an upper cut. Yang blocked the attack, and brought her knee up. Monica jumped back, and swung a series of strikes at Yang's defense. Yang held up, and then swung around her fist at Monica. Monica blocked, but Yang was relentless. She kept up a series of strikes. Right, left, right left, left, so on and so forth. Monica was running out of aura to hold off the attacks. She quickly came up with a solution, and slightly electrified her arms. Yang swung around her fist, and then hissed slightly at the electricity. She momentarily broke her concentration, and Monica took full advantage of it. She swung around her fists at Yang's defense, and started to go on the offensive. She kept up a solid barrage of strikes, and now it was Yang who was in trouble. She held off Monica's attacks as best she could, but soon her aura reached a breaking point. Monica landed one more blow, and Yang fell over.

"What a fight," Tuf called out. "Well fought Ms. Xiao Long, but Ms. Rogue is the victor. You may both join the others at the weight lifting area." Monica helped Yang to her feet, and walked off. "Now, let's have our next fight."

_Streets of Vale: Dust Shop_

The shopkeeper was cleaning his display cases. It was early in the day, so he wasn't expecting anyone just yet. He heard the door open up, and he looked up in surprise. He faced two men, both of them looked around the store in interest.

"Can I help you?" The shopkeeper asked.

"Yes," the one with red hair said. He raised up two cone shapes, and let his fingers rest on the triggers. "We'll be wanting a few cases of dust crystals and a few canisters of dust powder, free of charge. Will that be a problem?" The shopkeeper frantically shook his head. "Then start filling." The shopkeeper reached down for the crystals, and started to put them into the case. "Get the canisters Bush," he ordered.

"Why?" Bush asked.

"Because I'm the one with the guns, now stop complaining." Bush walked over to the dust dispensers, and went to work in filling them up. "I suggest that you hurry up," red hair said. The shopkeeper nodded frantically, and started to pile in the crystals faster. He filled up the cases, and then handed over the case. "Good. Bush, you done yet?"

"Yes," Bush called back. He held up several cases of dust powder, and walked outside.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," red hair said as he exited. The shopkeeper called the cops as soon as they had left, and reported the robbery.

_Streets of Vale: Other Dust Shop_

Junior looked up at the store, and sighed deeply. He definitely didn't picture himself doing grunt work. He faced the four henchman that he had brought with him, and signaled for them to enter into the store.

The shopkeeper looked up at the five criminals entering into the store.

"Can I help you?" He asked. One of the men raised up a pistol, and the other three scattered around to the dispensers.

"The crystals," Junior said. "Start filling." The shopkeeper nodded, and frantically started to place the dust crystals inside of the cases. He finished up quickly, and handed over the filled cases to Junior. He signaled for one of his guards to take them, and the shopkeeper saw his opportunity. He clicked a button on the bottom of his counter, and waited for the police to come. Junior looked at his other men, and waved his hand.

"Let's go," he said gruffly. Before they got very far, he heard sirens blaring from outside. Without hesitation, one of the guards turned around and shot the shopkeeper. Junior and the four guards ran outside, and ran for their airship.

"Freeze!" One of the cops called out. Junior quickly pulled out his batzooka, and fired off several shots at the police. Most of them were killed in the explosion, but some of them survived. The rest of the guards raised up rifles, and took care of them.

"Let's go," Junior said, leaving the cops bodies. He quickly jumped into the airship, and left the area.

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm, Night_

Derek and his team finally walked into their dorm, relieved to see it.

"God that sucked," Nathan said immediately. "Seriously, Professor Tuf is awful. None of that 'lifting' was that bad, and the only challenge of the day was boxing against Nora."

"I have to agree with you," Derek said. "Honestly, one of the worst classes that we're going to have." Everyone else grumbled in agreement, and started to pull out their bags. "What are you doing?"

"Packing up," Nathan said. "We leave tomorrow." _Tomorrow? Out of all the days. Not like anyone knows, and not like I want them to know. _

"When?"

"Early in the morning," Gwen said. "Well, for me and Nathan it is."

"And same for me," Monica said. Derek nodded.

"Well, I'll be up to see you off." The three of them nodded, and resumed packing up. Derek just envisioned the dorm empty, and his heart filled with some sadness. _Bah, I've grown soft. __But is that really such a bad thing? _His team finished packing up, and they all went to sleep. Derek decided that it would be best if he also got some sleep, and he closed his eyes.

_Hidden Complex_

"Excellent work you three. Anything to be alarmed about?"

"I'm fairly sure that the shopkeeper called the cops, but no way they'll find us."

"I had to take out a couple of cops, but no other issues."

"About as clean as possible. We'll talk more tomorrow."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated. **


	50. Chapter 50

Child of Grimm Ch. 50

**50 Chapters!**

Derek watched the bullheads depart, his teammates on them. He saw all of them off, with Monica being slightly more emotional then the others. Derek had kept his emotions well in check, but he still was sad to see his team go. He turned away from the bullheads, and made a beeline for his dorm. He got inside, and sat down on his bed. _What do I do for three weeks?_ He knew that he had LOOS, but they were being used in so many operations that it seemed unlikely that he would spend much time with them. He pulled out his scroll to check on them, but saw a message.

_I know I told you we would spend time later on, but we have to leave for an operation._

_Great. There goes LOOS. _He sighed and stood up. He started to pace the room, and he thought about what he would of have done before. _I would of have avoided people. What do I do? _Derek exited his dorm, and walked down the hall. He tentatively knocked on RWBY's dorm, and awaited to see if anyone opened up. The door opened, and Derek was surprised by the full house.

"Hey Derek," Ruby greeted.

"Did no one here leave?" He asked.

"Uncle Qrow was busy."

"I really don't have many places to go," Blake said.

"My dad was busy," Weiss said.

"What brings you here?" Ruby asked. He took a deep breath in before continuing.

"My entire team left for the holidays," he explained. "I didn't realize how busy those idiots kept me."

"Isn't your girlfriend on your team?" Weiss asked.

"Idiots and one. Anyway, I just wanted to see how many of you had left. I guess I have my answer."

"Aw," Yang said. "You're feeling lonely."

"I am not!" _Please don't pursue this._

"Whatever you say D," Blake teased. He gave her an angry look, but he was smiling inside.

"Well," Yang said. "We were planning on getting some breakfast. You can always join us?" Derek tried not to show his excitement, and just nodded simply.

"Sounds like a great plan," he said.

"Great. Wait here." Yang closed the door, and Derek patiently awaited them to exit. When they did, they immediately left for the cafeteria.

"Will anyone from JNPR be joining us?" Derek asked.

"Jaune and Pyrrha," Yang said. "Nora and Ren left for home, and Jaune and Pyrrha decided to stay." Derek nodded, and kept on course.

_Cafeteria_

RWBY and Derek sat down at the table that Jaune and Pyrrha were at. The seven people started to talk amongst each other, and Derek had to restrain himself from mentioning any of their relationships. _Only myself and Gwen actually know about it. I will let it slip, when RWBY wants me to let it slip. _

"So all of DRGN left?" Pyrrha said. "Except for you?"

"Correct," Derek said. "I'm the only one who had no where to go, and I chose not to leave with any of them."

"Why?" Jaune asked. "I mean, it seems awfully strange for you to stay alone."

"I lived that way for many years Jaune. I noticed that you decided to stay as well."

"Well yes, but I have Pyrrha."

"Speaking of which," Yang interrupted. "Is you two being a couple official yet?"

"I thought it had been for a while," Pyrrha said. Derek smiled at this remark. _It seems as though love is in the air here at Beacon. _Derek looked over to see a group he had never seen before. He titled his head in curiosity at the team. He leaned over, and then realized that Monica wasn't there. His expression saddened for a moment, but then he regained his composure.

"Who is that?" He asked, raising up his knife in their direction.

"Who?" Yang said, suddenly intrigued. "Oh, I think they are A-S-S-N."

"Assassin?"

"Yeah."

"I know them," Blake declared, looking up from her book. "They're a fairly interesting group." Derek looked over at them, and he felt tempted to join them.

"Hey!" Ruby called out in there direction. The four of them looked over at the table. "You want to join us?" One of them looked at the others, and thought for a moment.

"Sure," he called back. The four of them stood up, and joined the table. Derek took a good look at them. All of them wore cloaks. The first one had a green and gray cloak. His eyes were green, and his hair matched that color. He wore a gray shirt, and gray leather leggings. He had a strap going across his back, which presumably led to his weapon. The second one wore a purple cloak, which seemed strange to them. Her eyes were purple, as was her hair. _She has a reason to pick that as a favorite color. _The rest of her wardrobe was a mix of purple, and yellow. The colors were soft enough that the molding worked well together. She wore a sweatshirt, and long pants. The third member had chosen black as their primary color. He wore a tight shirt, and baggy pants. He had silver eyes, and black hair. They seemed to be the only one with nothing but one color for their wardrobe. The final member wore a white cloak. She had gray eyes and white hair. She wore a white shirt, with white pants to match. She had several different bands across her body, holding who knows what in them.

"Hello there," Derek said. "I do not believe I've ever met any of you. My name is-."

"Derek Flame," the one in green/gray said. "We've heard of you."

"And you are team RWBY," the one in purple followed.

"You two must be Jaune and Pyrrha," the one in black continued.

"Which means that LOOS, R-G-N, Nora and Ren all left," the one in white finished.

"Yes," Ruby said, a little surprised. "How do you know so much?"

"Get a clue Ruby," the one in green said. "You are all famous. We are honored that you asked us here."

"I'm glad you think so highly of us," Weiss said. "But who are you?"

"Where are my manners. My name is Alan Shaft. I'm the leader of ASSN."

"I'm Sarah Switch," the one in purple said.

"My name is Sal Shadows," the one in black continued.

"And finally, I'm Nor Snow," the one in white finished.

"I see you have a theme of S's going on," Yang said with a smile.

"Coincidence," Alan said with a smile.

"What are your weapons?" Ruby asked eagerly. Alan reached behind him and pulled out a bow. Sal brought two short swords from his sleeves. Nor pulled out two daggers. Ruby looked at Sarah expectingly.

"Right," she said. She pulled out two axes that were very small.

"The tricks with us aren't in our weapons," Alan continued. "It's our semblances. Perhaps a demonstration?" Everyone nodded eagerly. Alan stood up, and raised up his bow. He fired off an arrow, and then quickly raised up his hand. The arrow immediately disappeared, and was only seen when they heard a soft thunk in a nearby table. "Cloaking," he explained. He quickly sat down, and Sarah stood up. She raised up her hand, and a small circle appeared not far off. She disappeared in a small purple cloud, and then reappeared in that spot.

"I can switch my position short range," she said proudly. Sal disappeared into the table, and everyone looked around for him. He reappeared a fair distance away, and raised up his swords.

"Not vanishing," he said quickly. He did the same trick again, and this time Derek looked carefully. He looked over, and Sal reappeared. "I can make myself a shadow." Now Nor stood up, and swung around her cloak. She quickly vanished into white snow flakes, and they scattered. They came together nearby, and she appeared in it's place.

"The ability to change my form," she explained.

"Those are really cool," Ruby said eagerly.

"They certainly contribute to our names'," Alan said. Derek finished up his food, and stood up.

"Well that was intriguing," he said. "But I'm going up to my dorm. Would it be okay if I talked with you later on?"

"Fine by me," Alan said, leaning back in his chair.

"Excellent. I'll message you when I want too." Derek left for his dorm, and thought for a long time. _Team ASSN, perhaps one of the strongest teams here. So why have I never met them?_

_Hidden Complex_

"We could make an attempt on his team. They are all separated from him."

"We're ignoring him for now."

"Why?"

"Have you not witnessed his vengeance? If you want to go after him, then be my guest. But we will not be saving you Adam."

"Fine."

"We'll set our sights elsewhere for now."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	51. Chapter 51

Child of Grimm Ch. 51

**40 Favorites! Thank you to everyone that kept tabs and favorited this story.**

Derek closed the door to his dorm, and pulled out his scroll. _Something seems wrong here. _He quickly opened up his scroll, and searched for ASSN. He found them, but all of their files suggested that they had never once seen active duty in the field. _They seem strong enough, so what is keeping them here? _Derek kept looking through, but he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called out. The door opened up, and team ASSN walked in. "I wasn't expecting you so soon," Derek said as he put away his scroll.

"We like to have the element of surprise on our side," Sal quickly explained.

"Plus we didn't have much else to do," Sarah added in.

"Ahem," Alan interrupted. "Anyway, why did you want to see us?" Derek quickly drew his weapons, and studied ASSN.

"You seem like a strong team," Derek said. "But I have yet to see you attend any form of active duty. Is there any particular reason?"

"Easy," Nor began. "We're strong, but all of us are highly specialized in our particular fields. And all of them happen to be the same one. Our name."

"A team of assassins," Alan finally added in. Derek looked at their weapons, all of them strapped to different parts of their bodies.

"What else do they do?" Derek asked.

"What?"

"I can tell by their design that they do more then then just the functions that you chose to show." Alan smiled, and raised up his bow. He quickly pulled it in half, and the two halves formed into swords. Sal shrugged his swords out from his sleeves, and then flipped them around to reveal the barrels of two pistols. Nor pulled out her daggers, and then grabbed the blades. The hilts each had a single barrel on them, of what appeared to be a pistol. Derek looked over at Sarah, but she shrugged.

"My axes are what they look like," she said. She raised them up, and Derek carefully studied them. _She's right. _"I know it's not exciting," she said as she raised up her hand. She quickly disappeared, and reappeared behind Derek. "But my semblance is complicated enough."

"How exactly do your semblances work?" Derek asked.

"I can't cloak anything much larger then an arrow," Alan explained. "But if you can't see my shot coming at you, then you can't avoid it."

"I can only go short distances," Sarah said. "Handy in a fight."

"I can become a shadow," Sal added. "It's really not much more complicated then that."

"I split into snow," Nor said. "And other materials. Snow is just the easiest for me."

"Isn't it difficult to disassemble yourself and reassemble yourself?" Derek asked.

"Not particularly," Nor said. "Or at least, not anymore. I really only have to concentrate when I try to put myself together again." Derek pulled out his sword, and started to think. "That would work," Nor said, almost reading his mind. "Try it." Derek turned around, and swung his sword across her stomach. From the cut out, she disappeared into several snowflakes. They scattered, and Derek followed them carefully. They started to form again, and Nor came together in front of him. "See?"

"Impressive," Derek said. "But that still doesn't explain why you wouldn't be called upon."

"Unless Ozpin gets an assassination request," Alan said. "We're not going to be used."

"What about the forest?"

"We got through while barely being seen," Sarah said. "We took some Grimm by surprise, and got in and out of the temple fast." Derek nodded, and looked at them carefully.

"Well, you seem like an interesting group of people. I will be interested to get to know you more."

"Thanks man," Alan said. "It really is cool to finally meet the Child of Grimm. See you around." ASSN left Derek's dorm, and he sat down on his bed. _Unless Ozpin gets an assassination request, we're not going to be used. _He opened up his scroll, and looked for the footage of their run in the forest. _Nothing. All students are on file. I wonder... _He quickly searched through the numbers on his scroll, and found the name he wanted.

_Hello?_

_You have reached the Rat, how may I help you?_

_It's Derek Flame._

_Ah, the Grimm Child. What can I do for ya?_

_A team at my school has no files on them. I want you to look them up. A-S-S-N._

_On it. That'll be 4 crystals for my services. _

_Thank you_

Derek put down his scroll, and found four crystals. He quickly put them in a bag, and got ready for a flight to the Rat's nest.

_Team ASSN's Dorm_

"No way we fooled him," Nor said. "He has to have some clue of what's going on here."

"We don't need to fool him," Alan said. "His guardian said that we would be working with him in the future. If he figures out our real roles, then it won't matter."

"At the very least," Sarah contributed. "We don't have any classes."

"I think that Ozpin will ask us to reveal who we are," Sal added. "Or at least, our role in this school. From what I can tell, our main targets have some conflict with him."

"I'd tell him anyway," Nor said. "Ozpin told us his story. He seems to be someone that you must earn their trust, and lying would only make it worse."

_Hidden Complex_

"They've met."

"How do you know Xander? I thought it only worked for the future."

"It does, but I can tell they'll have a meeting later on, and it's not an initial meeting."

"Excellent work Xander. Perhaps your not completely useless."

"Next shot I get, you'll regret ever doubting me."

"I sincerely hope so, for your sake."

_The Rat's Nest_

Derek walked walked in front of the bar, and one of the guards stopped him.

"I'm here to see the Rat," Derek told the guard.

"Name?" He asked.

"Derek Flame, or maybe I'm under Drake Flame."

"A little indecisive are you?"

"Let him in," a thick Italian voice called out. The guard stepped to the side, and Derek walked in. "Ah," the Rat greeted him. "Mr. Flame. The crystals?" Derek tossed the pouch on the table. "Alright." He pulled out his scroll, and sent off a file to him. "These people, how do you know them?"

"I saw them today," Derek briefly explained. "Why?"

"They're... Interesting. I think you'll get what I mean." Derek nodded, and left to return to Beacon. _Almost night already? It's been a long day._

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

The four of them walked into their dorm. Ruby and Weiss sat down on Weiss' bed, while Yang and Blake sat on Blake's bed.

"That was a fun day," Ruby said. The four of them had decided to go out in Vale, and just explore. They went to as many shops as possible, and just browsed. Weiss had more then enough money to buy anything, but she had decided against it. They had stopped by for some lunch, and then left to return to Beacon.

"We've had a good couple of days," Yang said, wrapping her arms around Blake.

"I'm worried about Derek," Blake finally said.

"Come on Blake, don't worry about him right now."

"Still, his whole team is gone." Yang pulled Blake close to her, and just kept her in a hug.

"He's more then capable of being alone," Weiss said. "I wouldn't worry that much."

"Weeeiiss," Ruby said. "We should worry. He's a close friend." Weiss sighed at the look that her partner was giving her.

"We can check on him if you'd like," Weiss gave in. Ruby immediately stood up, and walked towards DRGN's dorm.

Derek opened up his window, and stepped inside of his dorm. He quickly pulled out his scroll, and started to look through the files. _Hm. No action in the field. But your videos suggest otherwise. _He heard a knock on his door, and he quickly put away his scroll.

"Come in," he said. The door opened up, and team RWBY walked in.

"Hey Derek," Ruby said.

"Hello," Derek greeted all of them. "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing," Weiss said. Had it been anyone other then Weiss, Derek might of have thought little of it. But him and Weiss weren't exactly great friends, which lead his mind to one conclusion.

"You're worried that I'm feeling lonely," Derek declared. "Aren't you?" The four girls looked at each other for just a moment too long. "Yes, you are."

"It's just," Yang started. "You had the whole loner thing going on when we met you, but now you seem to always be around your team. We're just concerned on how you're dealing with it." Derek eyed his scroll, and then thought through his answer.

"I really appreciate this," Derek said. "But if you tell my team what I'm about to tell you, it's not going to be good for you." RWBY nodded. "I am missing my team, much more then I ever anticipated. But I have something to keep me busy."

"Mind me asking what?" Blake said. Derek looked at his scroll again, and Blake's eyes followed. "What is it?"

"It's about our new found friends, ASSN. Something seems off about them, and I'm just investigating." Blake nodded, and tilted her head curiously. "So far, none of their story matches up with what they told us." Now all of RWBY was interested. "I'll send you a copy, but right now there is something I would like to do alone." RWBY nodded, and said their goodbyes. As soon as they had left, Derek sent out the files. He walked over to the window, and opened it up. He blew out some fire, and used his semblance to freeze it. He quickly spread apart the flames, and started to fashion the image that he wanted. He blew out some more flames, and then kept up the work. He finished, and admired his work. The image was of a birthday cake, 18 candles, and the words _Happy Birthday _over it. _The one thing I never let anyone know. Just another year of being alive, and nothing that I've ever seen much cause for celebration. _He dispersed the image, and walked over to his bed. He lay down, and closed his eyes.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	52. Chapter 52

Child of Grimm Ch. 52

**And my computer decided "Fuck you," and logged me out as I saved this chapter. *heavy sigh* Okay, here we go again. I'm going to bring up the sketch thing again.**

Derek woke up, and gently rolled out of bed. He quickly tossed on his clothes, and put on his armor. He immediately grabbed his scroll, and started to look through the files that the Rat had sent him. He quickly started to look through them, and eventually he found a video of them in the forest. He opened up the file, and watched ASSN move through the forest. He started to skip through certain parts, as it was just the four of them moving along silently through the woods. He finally found a moment where they silently took down a group of Beowolves, and he watched in awe of their synchronization and precision. _They work well together. So what exactly is their role? _He closed out of the video, and opened up another video file. He saw Ozpin standing in his office, with the four teammates standing in front of him.

"Excellent work you four," Ozpin said. "You were one of our highest scoring teams in this trial. But, your skills lend to another process. I want you to be ready for any assassination attempts that I might need in the future, and I want you to be silent about it." Derek closed the file, and looked up. _So this has only confirmed my suspicions. They are used as assassins, and they have seen duty in the field. _He heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called out. The door opened up, and Ozpin walked into the room.

"Hello Derek," he said.

"Hello Ozpin. What brings my guardian to my dorm?"

"I realized that yesterday was your birthday. I came to wish you a happy birthday."

"A pointless gesture," Derek grumbled. "I think you should know better then everyone else, I'm not big on birthdays."

"Didn't you tell any of your friends?"

"Why? I don't want them to know." Ozpin thought for a long time, and then walked over to him.

"You still keep your old antisocial habits."

"It's important to be consistent. Speaking of antisocial, would you mind explaining to me what ASSN is?"

"A team at Beacon," Ozpin said, shrugging off the question. "What else could they be." Derek raised up his scroll, and let Ozpin watch the video of him talking to ASSN. "Where did you get this?"

"I can be fairly resourceful. Now, do you want to explain to me what ASSN is?"

"Exactly what I said in that video. I can't give specifics on when I've used them, but I have used them before." Derek nodded, and went to leave his dorm.

"I'm going to head out to breakfast," he explained. "Goodbye for now Ozpin."

"Goodbye Derek." Derek exited his dorm, and walked down to the cafeteria.

_Monica_

She woke up, and stretched out. It was Monica's first full day back home, and she was excited. She looked around her room, and smiled at her color choice. The entirety of the room was painted yellow and decorated with lightning bolt patterns. Every space that wasn't covered by lightning bolts was filled in by a picture. Pictures of her past, her favorite memories, and just memorable moments. She quickly tossed on her clothes, and walked downstairs. She quickly entered the kitchen, and found her mother. The entirety of Monica's home was painted in a lightning yellow color, and it was all filled with pictures, books, and mechanical pieces.

"Hey Mom," she said.

"Good morning Moni," her mother greeted.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. But I think your father might need some assistance. He's in the garage."

"Of course he is." Monica walked down to the garage. It was the biggest room in the house. The place was colored in the same manner as the rest of her house, but it was permanently filled with at least three cars, sometimes more. This was one of the times it was filled with more. Her parents ran a private car manufacturing company, with her mother running the business side of things and her father running the mechanical aspects. They sometimes delivered to high priced clients, like the Schnee Dust Company.

"Dad?" She called out. He quickly popped out from behind the third car. It was a yellow sports car, with lightning bolts going along the side of it.

"Ah," he said. "You came just in time. I was wondering if you could test how this car runs before I run off to get the keys made." Monica nodded, and placed her hand on the hood. She closed her eyes, and electrified the car enough to get it running. She heard a good hum, and she could feel her energy being well received by it. "Runs like a charm," her father said, with a note of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Who is this one for?" Monica asked.

"A big name client. Now, I must get going. I'll see you soon." Her father quickly stepped into his car, and drove off to get the keys made. Monica walked back into the house, and thought about her next couple of weeks.

_Hidden Complex_

"The outcome has changed."

"How can you be sure Xander?"

"Because my feeling is different now then it was before. I don't know how, but the dragon somehow switched around the outcome."

"That's most unfortunate. Keep me updated as to what happens. We don't want any surprises."

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

Derek sat down at the table. He looked around to see that only ASSN, Jaune, and Pyrrha were present. With no sign of RWBY.

"Hello," Derek said. "No RWBY?"

"Not yet," Jaune said. "I guess they're running late."

"That's odd. Speaking of odd," Derek faced team ASSN. "Is there anything you'd like to share with us?" Every member of ASSN smiled at him.

"We knew you'd figure it out," Alan said. Jaune and Pyrrha both looked at each other in confusion.

"Can you fill us in?" Jaune asked.

"Let's just say that our team name has something more to do with our nature, then just a random assortment of letters." Jaune and Pyrrha both looked even more confused, and tried to figure out what she had said. Derek smiled to himself. _A cryptic answer. Their habits reflect their primary profession. _He finished up his breakfast, and there was still no sign of RWBY. _How strange for them to not appear. _Derek quickly stood up, and looked at his friends.

"If you need me," he said. "I'll be in my room." He left the table, and went for his dorm.

When Derek arrived, he quickly jumped onto his bed. He felt something underneath him, and he stood up. He lifted up a piece of paper, with a simple note written on it.

_Meet us in our dorm_

_-Blake_

_Meet us in our dorm? Why do they want to do that? _Derek set down the note, and walked over to RWBY's dorm.

He gently knocked on the door, and it swung open. Blake was facing him, and every other member of RWBY was on Blake's bed.

"Hey Derek," Blake said. She quickly ushered him inside, leaving Derek to wonder as to what he was doing there. He sat down on Weiss' bed, and looked around at the people around him.

"Why am I here?" Derek asked immediately. The members of RWBY looked at each other, and then Yang decided to take the lead.

"Blake heard you talking to Ozpin," she confessed. "Why didn't you tell us?" Derek took a deep breath in, and then just let out a sigh.

"I have my reasons," he said simply.

"Come on Derek," Yang pursued. "What reasons?"

"Reasons that I'd prefer not to talk about." Derek turned to leave, but he could tell that RWBY was still awaiting his response. Derek sighed again. "Okay, I never have really seen a big reason to celebrate my birthday." He heard RWBY gasp in surprise, and he just shook his head. "I don't get it. It's just another year of life for me."

"Isn't being alive for another year an accomplishment for you?" Yang asked. Derek snarled at her. "I mean, realistically?"

"If you want to observe the technicalities that I should of have died when I was a kid, then yes still being alive is an accomplishment. But I'm still not one for celebration."

"Do you want us to tell Monica?" Ruby asked.

"No. Do not inform anyone on my team of my birthday." RWBY nodded, and Derek stood to leave again.

"Wait!" Weiss said. "What do you do for your birthday?"

"What do I do?" Derek asked confused.

"To remind yourself."

"It's a process," Derek said slowly. "And it's visual."

"We have time." Derek sighed, and lit a ball of fire on his hand. He used his semblance to spread apart the flames, and then layered on some more fire.

"How are you doing that?" Ruby asked.

"Semblance," Derek said briefly.

"I thought you didn't have a semblance?"

"This isn't my own semblance. Mine was replaced by this." He quickly started to shape out the flames, and he finished in a few minutes. He stared at the image he had just made, and then realized just how sad that it might seem to other people.

"How long have you been doing this?" Blake asked, impressed by the perfect image that was facing them.

"Since I was on the run. I needed some way to keep track of time, and this just happened to be that way." He quickly slashed his hand through the flames, and then turned to leave. "I want no mention of this, understand?" Everyone on his team nodded. "Good." Derek quickly exited the dorm, and sat down on his bed. _And the first people to learn about my birthday apart from Ozpin, is RWBY. I don't think I ever would of have guessed that. So long as they keep their promise. _Derek started to play around the flames, making whatever images came to mind. He heard his scroll ring, and he pulled it out.

_Gwen Roberts_

Derek quickly pressed the answer button, and he saw Gwen, Nathan, and their parents. He felt happier, and they began to talk.

_Monica_

She was washing up the dishes after dinner. Monica always looked for something to do, and she often took it as an opportunity to help people. She dried off the last dish, and went to place it in the cupboard. She stopped at the picture in front of the cupboard. It was her and her parents in DRGN's dorm. You could faintly make out Gwen, Nathan, and Derek in the background of the shot. She smiled at the memory, and then went to put the dish away. She quickly rejoined her parents, and sat down at the table.

"So Monica," her father began. "Your mother and I made a promise to each other, and to you somewhat, that if you did well in Beacon, we'd give you a specific gift." Monica tilted her head in curiosity. Her dad tossed over a small package, and Monica picked opened it up. Inside, was a set of car keys. She stopped in stunned silence for a moment, and then looked back at her parents.

"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner," her mother said. "The car was already designed for you?"

"Do you mean," Monica began. "The car in the garage that I started up?"

"Yup," her father said. "We call it Lightning Rod." She ran over to her parents, and wrapped them in a big hug.

"Thank you guys so much."

"You're welcome," her mother said. "You upheld your end of the deal, and I expect that you will continue to do so." Monica was tempted to test drive her own car, but decided against it for now.

_Hidden Complex_

"There's been another change."

"Again? How?"

"Don't know. But I think we should leave this alone for now."

"I agree with you. Do not inform the others of this, and report to me if there has been another change."

"Understood."

**End: Next chapter, RWBY or ASSN? The chapter after that will include whoever didn't win the vote. I crossed 50 followers! Another huge thank you for the continued support of this story. I also {another warning} might start tying in my other stories to this one. I technically already have with the Rat, but I might do it again. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	53. Chapter 53

Child of Grimm Ch. 53

**I got one vote RWBY and one vote ASSN, but ASSN came first so I'll do that one. There will be a minimum of DRGN in this story.**

Alan woke up, and stretched out. He quickly pulled out his bow, and then checked the dust crystals compartment. All filled. He quickly strapped it onto his back, and then tossed on his cloak. After that, he checked his scroll.

_My office, now._

He put away his scroll, and looked eagerly at his sleeping teammates. He raised up his hand, and then all of their blankets seemed to vanish. A little bit of fun.

"Alright team," Alan barked out. "Get up." Sarah quickly sat up, and looked down. She let out a heavy sigh, and then sent out a small purple circle in front of him. She appeared their, and Alan let out a sigh. Sal was the next one to notice the trick, and he just melded into a shadow. He came out of his shadow, and then picked up his cloak. They looked over to see that Nor had already disassembled into snow, and then she reassembled right by her cloak.

"You need a new joke," Sarah said. "Partner."

"It was funny when it worked," Alan said. "I just ended up on a team of Houdinis. Ozpin's office, now." His team tossed on their cloaks, and then left the room.

The door opened up, and ASSN walked in. They looked over to see Derek and Ozpin sitting down already.

"Good," Ozpin said. "You're here."

"Ahem," Nor coughed. "Do you mind me asking exactly what he's doing here?"

"Well, LOOS' scouting report came back. They think that they've found the compound. A medium level criminal, whom we have associated with the main operation for the White Fang. LOOS has been working at this for a while, and I want to see this done right."

"You want him dead?" Alan asked, pulling out his bow.

"No, I want him alive. Derek is here to keep him under control, you're here to get through the compound. Derek, how much control do you think that they have over their semblances?"

"A fair amount," Derek said. "But, I believe that they are lying about just how much." Alan sighed, and raised up his hand. He seemed to vanish, along with several objects nearby him. Sarah didn't send out a circle, but appeared outside of the room. She quickly beamed back in. Derek looked over at Sal and Nor, but they both shrugged.

"I don't see how much more complicated ours can get," Sal said. Derek nodded, and then looked back at Ozpin.

"Now that that's been worked out," Ozpin said. "Derek, you will not be fighting in this mission. Your style isn't subtle enough for this."

"Then why am I here?" Derek asked.

"Because you'll be useful if this goes wrong. You'll wait outside with LOOS, and ASSN will take the base. Pay close attention Derek, this will not be the last time that you will work with them." Derek stood up to leave, and walked out to the airship. ASSN waited for any extra details, but Ozpin shook his head. "That is the full briefing of this mission. I trust no one at this school more then him. I am his legal guardian." ASSN nodded, and then stood up. Nor quickly dispersed into snow, Sal vanished into his shadow, and then Sarah quickly beamed herself to outside. Alan looked around at where his teammates stood, and then sighed deeply.

"A team of Houdinis," he grumbled. He walked out the door, and then walked over to the airship.

Derek waited by the airship for any of ASSN to show up. He quickly saw a small circle appear near him, and Sarah beamed up. She brushed off her cloak, and walked into the airships. A small mound of leaves formed next to him, and Nor quickly assembled herself next to him. He could make out a shadow in the distance, and then Sal came out of the shadow. Alan just walked up to him, nothing unique about his approach.

"Why not make yourself invisible?" Derek asked. "For effect?"

"Because I'm not one for effect," Alan said as he stepped into the bullhead. "Sal moves faster when he's in shadow form, as does Nor. Are you getting in?" Derek shook his head, and extended his wings. "Right." The bullhead took off, and Derek trailed just behind it.

_White Fang Base: LOOS_

Olivia was perched up in a tree, looking down at the base. Lou was standing underneath a tree, keeping her gaze on the sky. Orion was nearby Lou, keeping an eye on the base. Stephen was hanging out underneath Olivia's tree, waiting to see if anything happened.

"Anything new?" He asked. Olivia shook her head.

"I already told you," she said impatiently. "I will let you know if there's a change." Stephen nodded, and started to move around his tail. He swung it hard into a nearby tree, and snapped it in half. Orion turned in time to grab the tree, and prevent it from falling to the ground.

"Watch it," he hissed. Orion slowly brought the tree to the ground, and then looked accusingly at Stephen.

"Sorry," Stephen said. "I got bored. There's nothing to do out here in the snow."

"At least you're not cold." All of them had an external layer of something, that protected them from the cold. If it wasn't for their heavy clothing that they wore normally, they would be able to wear just light clothing to keep warm.

"Guys," Lou called out. "It's showtime." They looked up to see a bullhead landing nearby them, with Derek landing next to it.

"And so the prodigy returns," Stephen said, extending his arms. "I thought the rest of DRGN went home?"

"They did," Derek said. "This is an interesting group." The door to the bullhead opened up, and no one was there. LOOS looked at Derek, their faces filled with confusion.

"I don't see anyone," Olivia finally said.

"You see what we let you see," a voice said from behind them. LOOS backed up and drew their swords. There was a girl in a purple cloak standing right behind them, holding two axes. Olivia tensed her muscles to make a move, but a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked to see a man in some green and gray cloak behind her.

"I wouldn't do that," he said. Orion turned to face his leader, but he jumped back at the sight of a person in a black cloak between them.

"Boo," he said with a smile. Lou backed up, and she felt something behind her. She turned around to see a woman in a white cloak right there.

"An impressive entrance ASSN," Derek said. "But we're not here for fun. What's the info that you've been able to collect?"

"This is the right place," Olivia said confidently. "Beyond that, the security is pretty tight. The walls are all lined with guards, and then the doors are guarded by two more people. From what we can tell, there are a lot more people inside of the base. Even if you do get in, there's no way you can go undetected."

"Challenge excepted," Alan said. "My name is Alan by the way."

"Sarah," Sarah contributed.

"Sal," Sal added in.

"And Nor," Nor finished off. "We already know who you are. What are you thinking Alan?"

"I'll go up top and start to clear the walls," he said. "Sarah, you'll deal with the other side. After we clear the area, I'll take down the guards at the door. Sarah, you'll be there in case something goes wrong. Sal, Nor, after we get inside, you'll deal with the guards on the way. We'll take down any strays. Got it?" The rest of his team nodded, and Alan quickly wrapped himself in his cloak. He made himself vanish, and then drew his bow. He walked down to his side of the wall, and looked over the guards. All of them were pairs. That might present a challenge. He split his bow apart, and then walked forward silently. He approached the first pair, and he could hear them talking to each other.

"Another day on the wall," the first one said.

"Yeah," the second one replied. "I just wish that we could get duty inside for once."

"You know who does get inside duty? Jenkins! He always gets inside duty."

"Probably because he runs the security shifts."

"But what does he have against us?"

"I don't know." The first guard looked ready to begin again, so Alan took his opportunity. He walked to the second guard, and placed his hand over his mouth. He quickly brought his sword into his chest, and then tossed his body over the wall.

"You hear what I'm saying?" The first guard asked. He heard a thud, and he looked over the wall. "Oh my god." Before he could sound the alarm, Alan brought his sword through his spine. He tossed the guard's body over the wall again, and then moved down the wall.

Sarah ran behind a set of boxes. She could tell that there were two guards, and that they were close together. She quickly eyed the spot directly between them, and took a deep breath in. She put down one of her circles, and waited for her opportunity.

"You see that?" The first guard asked.

"What?" The second guard asked impatiently. He looked down at the purple glyph, and paused for a moment in surprise. "What the fu-?" Before he could continue, Sarah beamed herself in between them, and swung her axes up into their jaws. She took them out, and tossed the bodies over the edge. She ran down between two more boxes, and then waited on her next chance.

Alan brought his sword out of the last guard's spine, and tossed him over the edge. He looked across the way to see that Sarah had just wrapped up, and he reached down to his scroll.

"We got the guards," Alan said. "Nor, Sal, get in position." He pulled out his bow, and knocked an arrow. He checked to make sure that he was still invisible, and that the arrow was as well. He was using his personal favorite, electricity. No burn marks directly on the clothing, no other marks directly on the clothing, and only confusion. He waited on the guard to walk into position, and he fired off. He heard his faint cry, and then watched him collapse.

"What?" The other guard said. He leaned down, and checked the guards pulse. Before he could stand up, Sarah appeared behind him and swung her axe into his back. Alan jumped down from the wall, and rolled to his feet. He looked at the door, and started to check for any keys on the two guards. He looked at Sarah, and shook his head. Sal and Nor finally walked up to them, and looked at them expectingly.

"No key," he said. "Which means we need another way in. Nor, you're up." Nor nodded, and melted down into snow. She quickly slipped the pieces through the gaps. Shortly there after, they heard a few gasps of surprise, and then the sound of bodies hitting the floor. The door opened up, and they saw Nor, with her daggers out, and two bodies on the ground.

"It's open," she said. "I don't know how these," she kicked one of the bodies, "got here." Alan smiled, and walked in. Sal and Sarah quickly trailed, and he found a door.

"Singular hallway," he said. "Makes it more difficult to remain unnoticed, in theory. Sal, you're up." Sal smiled. No one outside of ASSN or Ozpin knew, but his semblance had one more aspect to it. He could drag bodies into the shadows, and keep them there until he revealed them again. Sal quickly shrugged down his swords, and then melted into the shadows. Alan looked at the door, and opened it up slowly. He vanished, Sarah teleported, and Nor melted down into snow. She made herself look like a breeze, and one of the guards sighed.

"I'll close the door," he told his compatriot. "Keep watch." The other guard nodded, and he walked over to the door. He slammed it shut, and then made sure that it was closed. He turned around to leave, but he felt a hand go over his mouth. He quickly felt a sword go through his chest, and then he was pulled backwards. His compatriot looked over, and then he looked concerned.

"Frank," he said, as he drew his sword. "Ay Frank, where are you? Come on man, this isn't funny." He walked over to the door, and opened it up. He looked out, and saw that he wasn't outside. "Frank?" He called out. He felt a hand go over his mouth, and then he was pulled back. Sal stepped out of the shadows, and brought the two bodies out of them too. He wiped off his swords, and then walked down the hall. He saw Alan, Sarah, and Nor waiting for him.

"Short hall," he said. They pointed to the bodies that lined the hall. "Ah. What's through there?"

"Main room," Nor said. "There are some pillars that Alan can climb. Sarah, you can assist in taking down people from behind those pillars. Sal, there are lots of places that you can pull people into the shadows. I'll get in position to take down the main person." ASSN nodded, and opened up the door. They quickly all went about their business.

Alan walked over to a pillar, invisible, and he quickly scaled it. He found a small platform, and he stood on top of it. He looked around and found an isolated guard. He quickly drew back an arrow, and fired. The guard toppled over, and Alan cloaked him. He fired off another arrow, and took down another. Someone turned at the sound, and Alan fired off another arrow. He realized that his vantage point wouldn't allow him to take down anyone else, so he looked over. He found two guards standing beneath him, and he jumped down on top of them. He stood up, and walked over to another pillar, and scaled it.

Sarah was standing behind a pillar, waiting for her chance. A patrol walked down the hall, and she quickly teleported over to them. She swung around her axe into one of their backs, and then teleported away. She set down the body, and then teleported back. She took down another one of the guards, and then teleported out of there. Only one guard remained, and he looked behind him. Before he could say anything, Sarah teleported back and swung her axe into his skull. She quickly teleported to the other side of the room, and lay down the body.

Sal was moving from pillar to pillar, with no one noticing him. He saw some isolated guards drop, and some patrols vanish a faint purple glow. He smiled to himself, and then realized that it was his turn. He found two guards standing across from each other, and he readied himself by a pillar. He quickly flipped around one of his swords, so that the suppressed barrel pointed out. He quickly stepped out from the shadow, and brought his sword into one of their backs. Before the one from across the room had a chance to do anything, Sal shot him in the chest. He pulled the first body into the shadows, and then did the same with the other.

Nor looked down at the main target. A medium level White Fang operative, that they clearly valued. She saw that he was surrounded by four guards, and she smiled. They were within close enough proximity that her daggers could reach, and she could just shoot the others. Nor saw Sarah wait behind a pillar near the White Fang and Sal approach them in his shadow form. She could only assume that Alan was already in position, so she broke herself up into snow. She had already positioned herself by an air vent. The snow slowly fluttered down, and started to land in between two of the White Fang.

"Looks like the air vent is broken again," the leader said, noticing the snow. "I guess we'll have to get someone to fix it." He looked like he was about to leave, but Nor took her chance. She quickly formed up into herself, and swung around her daggers into the necks of the two White Fang near her. Before the others could react, she flipped around her daggers and shot the other two White Fang. The leader raised up a rifle at her, and backed away.

"I don't know how you got here," he said. "But you don't stand a chance. Get her." Nothing happened, and he looked back. "I said get her."

"Do you really think that I wasn't thorough?" Nor asked. "No one here is alive."

"How?"

"Easy," someone said from behind him. He turned in time to see Alan reappear, his bow drawn back. "She had some help." He raised up a pistol at him as well, and kept his rifle pointed at Nor.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that," someone else said. He turned to see Sal step out from the shadows of a nearby pillar, his guns raised. "You don't have a third arm." The leader finally just started to run for the passage way that they didn't cover. He was almost there, when a purple glow came in front of him. He quickly ran into Sarah, and fell over. She bent down, and forcibly picked him up. She dragged him over to the rest of ASSN, and tossed him to the ground.

"Look what I ran into," she said. Alan quickly pulled out his scroll, and tapped the first name on the list.

"Come in LOOS and Derek," he said. "You're needed inside."

"On our way," Derek reported back. Alan looked down at the leader, and patiently awaited his friends.

Derek walked into the room, and immediately found them in the back. He walked over, and burned off his clothes for intimidation. The leader quickly backed away from him, and Derek just walked faster. The leader didn't get very far, and Derek picked him up.

"Hello there," Derek said. "I believe that you might have some info that'll interest me."

"Please don't kill me," the leader grobbled. Derek finally took a second to analyze the leader. He was overweight, unimpressive, and he wore just a standard White Fang uniform.

"So long as you answer me honestly, we won't. First question, what do you know of Adam?"

"He used to be a big piece in the White Fang, now I don't know what he's doing. All I know, is that he botched some sort of experimental faunus thing, and now we don't use him."

"What of Cinder?"

"Cinder?" The leader asked. "Who is Cinder?"

"Torchwick?" The leader shook his head. "The Malachite twins?" Another shake. "Xander?" Another shake. "He knows nothing that we need." Sal nodded, and then raised up his gun. "What are you doing?"

"He doesn't know what we need," Sal said. "So let's get rid of him."

"We're not doing that. We'll bring him in, and see what else we can get out of him."

"Thank you," the leader said. Derek nodded, and swung his fist into his head. The leader blacked out immediately, and Derek started to tie him up. ASSN just looked at him, and watched carefully. They all disagreed with that tactic, but he was in charge of watching over the leader.

**End: Next chapter will be RWBY, and then I'll discuss more of LOOS. I love this team, so prepare for more of them. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	54. Chapter 54

Child of Grimm Ch. 54

**I'm going to say this in light of a review that came up for the Few JWLS of Fighters. I have put all of my other stories on hold for this one. I'm in a block on JWLS, Killer/Healer are both done, and I decided to put Order on hold. This is just in light of how well this story is doing, and how much I'm enjoying crafting this universe. I just want to let you know that. Also, this takes place before Derek and ASSN leave, just in case anyone is confused as to what this is.**

Ruby rolled out of her bed, and stretched out. She looked out at how pleasant the day was, and smiled. Only a light snow, which meant that it was going to be a good winter. She heard a faint knock on the door, and she jumped down from her bed. Ruby slowly opened up the door, and looked up at Derek.

"Hey Ruby," he said softly. "I just want to let you know that myself and ASSN have been requested for a mission. That leaves you alone."

"How long will you be gone?" Ruby asked.

"Probably the whole day. Anyway, enjoy yourselves." Derek quickly turned around and left, leaving Ruby to just stand there. She started to smile, and then looked back at her team. It took everything that she could to not blow her whistle and wake them up. But she decided that Yang would probably kill her, as would Weiss, and she just sat down on her bed. Ruby quickly pulled out Crescent Rose, and then started to clean it off. She looked up, and watched her team sleep. Then, she realized how creepy it was that she was cleaning off her scythe while watching her team sleep, so she put it away, her face bright red. She then started to tap her knee, and then she couldn't take it anymore. Ruby climbed up to Yang's bed, and gently nudged her sister.

"Yang," she said. "Yang, get up." Yang sleepily opened up her eyes, and then pushed Ruby off of her bed. Ruby climbed back up, and poked Yang again. "Come on Yang."

"Is it important?" Yang asked, through her sleep.

"I'm bored."

"Then go bother someone else." Yang rolled away from her sister, and then went back to sleep. Ruby then walked over to Weiss' bed, and nudged her gently.

"Weiss," she said softly. Weiss opened up her eyes, and looked at Ruby.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I've been up for a while, and I'm bored." Weiss sighed, and then rolled over.

"I'm not waking up." Ruby sighed, and then walked over to Blake's bed. She gently nudged the girl, and her bow twitched.

"Yes?" Blake said sleepily.

"I'm bored," Ruby said. Blake shot an annoyed look at Ruby, and then just rolled over. Ruby sighed, and then sat down on a chair. She looked down at her whistle, and took a deep breath in. As if feeling merciful to everyone, Yang sat up in her bed, and hopped down. She tossed on her clothes, and dragged herself over to the bathroom.

"I hate you," Yang said grumpily. She washed off her face, and then walked over to Ruby. "Okay, I'm getting some coffee, and then we can do something. I'm just too tired right now." Ruby nodded, and then trailed behind her sister.

Weiss heard the door close loudly, and then sighed. She sat up, and rubbed her eyes. She let out a large yawn, and then stood up. She tossed on her clothes, and then stretched out. Weiss looked at the door, but decided not to leave yet. They would come back eventually. She looked over, and then noticed that Blake was also waking up. She just looked at Weiss, and then tossed on her clothes. Ruby and Yang walked back in, and Yang was back up to her normal energy.

"Good morning," she boomed. "How are you both on this morning?"

"Tired," Weiss complained.

"Fine," Blake said. Yang bounced over to Blake, and then put her arm around her.

"Good to know that you're still being positive," she said.

"Cheer up Weiss," Ruby said. "Derek and ASSN are gone for the day, so it'll be more time for us."

"Wait," Weiss said. "Why are they gone?"

"He told me that they were leaving in the morning."

"Did he wake you up by any chance?"

"No, I was awake. I stayed up for a couple of minutes before I got bored." Weiss sighed, but then realized something.

"Why are both groups going out?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask him." Weiss shook her head. As much as she loved her partner, she sometimes baffled Weiss with her lack of situational awareness in conversations sometimes.

"Well Jaune and Pyrrha are going out for breakfast," Yang said. "So now what do we do?"

"Let's get some breakfast," Blake said. "Because we have nothing else to do." Everyone else realized how accurate that statement was, and then left the dorm.

They arrived at the cafeteria, and then took a seat. Blake sat next to Yang, and Ruby and Weiss sat across from them. They both started to eat their food, and talked on. Well, Yang and Ruby started to talk. Weiss occasionally answered her partner, and Blake just gave slight nods. But the dynamic of their team held strong, with Yang being the main vocal component.

"So Weiss," Ruby said. "I was thinking that maybe we could go out to dinner later on. Alone. We haven't had a real date since," Ruby looked around and then back at Weiss. "We started dating." Weiss thought for a moment, and Yang studied her carefully.

"Where?" Weiss asked.

"We could go to a nice little restaurant, or a small diner, or somewhere else." Weiss thought for a moment, and then came to a conclusion

"I think that just a small diner would be good enough." Yang looked at the heiress in slight surprise.

"No big restaurant?" Yang asked. "I'm surprised."

"It would draw to much attention to us," Weiss explained. "I still don't really want to go public with this."

"Aren't we already sort of public?" Blake asked, looking up from her book. "Derek knows, and it wouldn't surprise me if ASSN somehow knew about us."

"And I'm sure Gwen was able to divulge the info from someone," Yang contributed. "We've seen her work." The other members of RWBY nodded, and continued to eat.

"How about the White Rose Diner?" Ruby suddenly asked, remembering the tiny diner they had passed on their way to the docks.

"White Rose Diner?" Weiss asked. "Any particular reason for that place?"

"I don't know," Ruby replied, slightly defeated. "I just thought that my symbol is a rose, and you have the whole white thing going on."

"I think it's a great idea," Weiss said, trying to reassure her partner. "But it's more of a muted blue," Weiss then corrected her.

"Close enough to white," Blake said.

"How about we go on a date Blakey?" Yang asked. Blake twitched her bow slightly, and looked at her partner.

"To where?"

"You mentioned the Sunrise Cafe earlier, that place seems nice." Blake just nodded, and then kept reading her book. "The books stays." Blake nodded again, and then kept reading. RWBY finished up their breakfast, and left for their dorms.

As soon as they returned, Weiss started scolding Ruby on her lack of other clothing.

"I still don't understand how you don't have anything else to wear!" She said angrily.

"I still haven't needed it," Ruby said poutily. "Can't I just wear this? You already said that it won't be a big deal." Weiss sighed, and then thought about it.

"Fine," she gave in. Yang was just doing her hair for the night, while Blake was just laying down.

"How about now?" Yang asked.

"It looks good," Blake replied, repeating the same thing she had said to Yang every time. Yang seemed to notice something else, and she went about fixing it. Blake let out a heavy sigh, and just kept reading. "At this rate, Derek and ASSN will be back before we can even leave here."

"Can it kitty," Yang said, raising up her fist in a fake threat.

"What are you going to do about it?" Blake teased. Yang jumped onto her partner, and pulled away the book. Weiss immediately grabbed Ruby by the hood, and dragged her out of the dorm. Ruby just looked on in somewhat horror and shock. Yang held her partners arms back, and then planted a kiss on her lips. Yang quickly jumped off of her, and then went back to fixing her hair {**A/N**}. Blake just smiled and picked up her book again. Ruby and Weiss came back into the room, and went about getting ready. Ruby's idea of getting ready seemed to just be blowing a piece of paper back and forth, while Weiss fretted over every detail.

"What about reservations?" She asked as she steadied her crown.

"It's a diner Weiss," Ruby said. "I don't think we'll need reservations."

"What about transportation?"

"We can always walk."

"But it's not romantic. Don't you have any sense of what's romantic?" Ruby sighed, and then looked at her again.

"Can't you just call for another car?" Weiss thought for a moment, and quickly pulled out her scroll.

"Hello? Hi Dad. Can you send off a car for us? It's for-." Weiss hesitated, and then thought for a while. "It's for my leader. No, the only vehicle we have is Yang's motorcycle. You've met her before. No, I've never ridden on it. Really? You'd do that? Thank you Dad. Love you too." Weiss put away her scroll, and then looked at her team. "He's going to gift us a car as a team. Well, technically it's mine. But since I don't know how to drive, for now it'll act as Ruby's car."

"Sweet," Ruby said. "Oh this is going to be so much fun."

"I'm in charge of the keys though." Ruby pouted a little, but then realized that all she had to do was ask Weiss for the keys whenever she needed them. "It will be here by night time. For now, we need to get back to arranging things." Ruby groaned, while Yang and Blake just looked on in amusement.

"Aren't you going to help her?" Blake asked, pointing at Ruby.

"Nah," Yang said. "She's a tough kid. She can hold her own." Blake smiled, and continued to read her book.

_That Night: Beacon Garage: White Rose_

"So this car will now be ours?" Ruby asked, looking over the four door sports car that they had used so many times in the past.

"Yup," Weiss said. "Being an heiress isn't always bad." Ruby eagerly jumped into the drivers seat, while Weiss sat next to her. Ruby looked over the car, thinking of all the things that she might be able to decorate it with. Ruby quickly started to car, and started to drive off.

"What did you mean by 'isn't always bad'?" Ruby asked Weiss, remembering what she said. Weiss seemed to remember that, and she bit her lip.

"I just get judged that way," she explained. "People often either think that I'm completely spoiled, or that I have an awful relationship with my father {**A/N**}. I just hate that label, and I'm glad that I was able to really get over it with you guys." Ruby nodded, and reached over to rub Weiss on the leg. "Can you drive this way?"

"Of course." But Ruby realized that Weiss would feel uncomfortable with that, so she put her other hand onto the wheel. They drove on in silence, until they reached the diner.

_White Rose Diner_

Ruby and Weiss walked in, and Weiss immediately felt out of place. Most of the patrons were dressed in very casual wear, while Weiss was in her very fancy combat skirt. They walked over to one of the empty tables, and took a seat across from each other. They grabbed a menu, and quickly looked over it. A waitress walked over to them, and requested their order. Ruby got a cup of hot chocolate, and Weiss ordered coffee. They both awaited their drinks, and looked over the menu.

"Gee Weiss," Ruby said. "There's a lot on the menu."

"I don't see anything I really want though," Weiss said. Ruby reached across the table, and gently nudged her. "Alright, some of the stuff does look pretty good." Ruby smiled, and the waitress set down some drinks. They nodded in appreciation.

"Anything that I can get you?" The waitress asked. Ruby looked over at Weiss, and she shook her head.

"We're still deciding," Weiss said. The waitress nodded, and walked off. Ruby looked back down at her menu, and kept searching.

"There's so much food," Ruby said. Weiss smiled at her partner's complain.

"Why not get all of it?" Weiss challenged. Ruby's eyes lit up immediately. "That was a joke, please don't." Ruby's expression darkened for a moment, but then she was back to her normal self. The waitress came back, and Weiss and Ruby quickly ordered. Ruby ordered grilled cheese and a side of mashed potatoes, while Weiss ordered grilled salmon and a side of vegetables. The waitress left to put in the orders, while Ruby kept looking over the menu.

"What are you looking for?" Weiss asked.

"Desserts," Ruby said quickly. "They do have cookies!"

"One meal at a time," Weiss said quickly. Ruby just nodded, and put away her menu.

"You know Weiss," Ruby said, trying to look as innocent as possible. "I realized that I actually don't know that much about your past." Weiss choked on her drink, and then set it down. "I'm sorry, if you don't want to share it's fine." Weiss held up her hand, and then wiped off her mouth.

"It's fine," Weiss said. "You have a right to know. As you know, I'm an heiress." Ruby nodded eagerly. "I grew up with a good background. My father gave me all of the education that I could need. But I always had a heart for fencing. At first it was a hobby, but I wanted to take it as a more full time thing. My father eventually gave in to all of my requests, and he decided that it would be best if I learned how to defend myself. That was right around when the White Fang started to attack our company. I was too young to understand it, but I could understand how visibly frustrated he was. He would come home, and ignore me. I developed a strong with my mom, but it turns out that wouldn't last." Weiss brought up her sleeve to wipe away her tear.

"You don't have to keep going," Ruby said softly. "It's okay." Weiss nodded appreciatively. She quickly made sure that she had regained her composure, and then their food came.

_Earlier: Beacon Garage_

"Bye Ruby!" Yang called out. "You better keep her safe Weiss!"

"I will," Weiss yelled back. Yang felt a hand on her shoulder, and she faced her partner.

"Come on," Blake said. Yang nodded, and walked over to Bumblebee. She hopped onto the front of it, and Blake took the back. Yang fired up the engine, and Blake just watched. She already knew that Yang had no helmets, but she also knew that Yang wasn't reckless in any other way. She fired up the engine, and then started to burn out the wheel. She quickly spun around Bumblebee, and drove off.

The two of them were riding down the open road, and Yang got an idea.

"Hold on," she called out to Blake. Blake knew that it didn't matter as to whether or not she objected, Yang would do it anyway. Blake wrapped her arms tight around Yang's waist, and then Yang grinned. She brought Bumblebee up in a wheelie, and sped down the road. Yang clearly knew what she was doing, and Blake trusted her enough. Yang brought down the motorcycle, and kept driving down the road.

"You do that often?" Blake asked teasingly.

"Only when I want to impress someone," Yang replied easily.

_Sunrise Cafe_

Yang spun around her motorcycle to the front of the cafe, and then jumped off. Blake very casually stepped off of the motorcycle, and then looked up at the familiar cafe. So many memories were made here, but now one would be made with Yang {**A/N**}. The two girls walked in, and the owner held up his arms. He was a middle aged man, who was only just overweight.

"Hello Ms. Belladonna," he said. "No monkey friend this time?"

"No," Blake replied. "I brought someone else in for today." He looked at Yang carefully, his eyes resting over every part of her.

"She seems attractive," he finally remarked. He held out his hand, and awaited her to reach out. "My name's Tom. You can call me Chef though."

"Yang," she replied. She extended her hand, and they shook.

"We got plenty of open tables, Ms. Belladonna. Take whichever one you want." Blake nodded in appreciation, and then walked out to the patio. Yang pulled out Blake's chair, and allowed her to sit down {**A/N**}. Yang took the seat across from her, and pulled out the menu. Blake just watched her as she worked.

"You know the menu?" Yang asked, in slight surprise.

"Let's just say I've been here before," Blake said.

"Is this where you went when you disappeared?" Blake nodded. "I knew that this place had to mean something."

"It was just where Sun took me." Yang nodded, and kept looking at the menu. The waitress walked over, and they placed in their drink orders. Blake got a cup of tea, while Yang ordered coffee. "This late at night?" Blake asked.

"You know me Blakey, it won't matter." Blake smiled at her partner. Yang had more energy then anyone else she knew, apart from maybe Ruby. "So, what did you do while you were in the White Fang?" Blake was caught off guard by the question, and Yang realized this. "I mean, at first." Blake nodded in understanding, and she realized the relevance in what her partner was saying.

"I joined them," Blake said. "And we protested. There really isn't a whole lot more to it."

"Adam?" Blake's expression darkened. "Okay, never mind." The drinks came, and Blake took a sip from her tea, while Yang almost chugged her coffee.

"Adam and I were paired together by chance," Blake said, causing Yang to gag in surprise. "He watched over me for a long time, and I guess our relationship changed at some point. He seemed happy by how violent the White Fang had become, and there was one moment where I decided to leave him. I cut off a train cart, and left to join Beacon. I guess that it worked out." Yang nodded at what her partner had said, and she wanted nothing more then to put her arm around her. So Yang stood up, and wrapped her arm around Blake.

"It's okay Blakey," she said comfortingly. "We got you now. We won't let anything happen to you." Blake smiled at her partner, and hugged her back.

The dinner drew to a close, and the couple left the diner. They drove back to Beacon, and parked in the garage. Shortly after they hoped off of Bumblebee, they saw a white car drive down the garage. It parked next to them, and Ruby and Weiss piled out.

"Sorry we're late," Weiss said. "Ruby had to order desert."

"That only delayed us for a little bit," Ruby replied back. Yang immediately wrapped Ruby in a hug, and looked suspiciously at Weiss.

"Do I need to talk to her?" Yang asked threateningly. Ruby pulled out of the hug, and stepped between Weiss and Yang.

"It's fine, she's fine," Ruby said in a rushed manner.

"Just know," Yang activated her Ember Celica. "I will come after you if you hurt my baby sister." Blake grabbed Yang, and pulled her back.

"Let's just go to our dorm," Blake said. The others nodded, and started to walk back, sharing details of their night.

Before they could get back, they heard a bullhead land nearby.

"Should we wait for them to step out?" Yang asked. Derek landed right behind them, and faced the airship immediately. Olivia quickly landed next to him, and signaled for the door to be opened. Derek instinctively turned around, and jumped back in slight surprise.

"RWBY?" He said. "I was not expecting you."

"We just got back from a group night," Weiss said immediately, noticing Olivia standing nearby. Derek nodded in understanding, and Olivia just nodded.

"So what happened?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"ASSN is not a team I wish to anger," Derek replied simply. "And we got him. He doesn't know what we want to know, but he still holds some info about the White Fang that others might find valuable. Anyway, you probably should get back to your dorms." RWBY nodded, and left to return to their residence.

**End: First A/N, I knew that Yang would take time to get ready, while Blake would probably just read a book. I also figured that Yang would be very playful with Blake, and I didn't realize how sexual it sounded until after I had written it. So I had Weiss drag Ruby off to make it more humor filled. Second A/N, a personal little thing for me. Every FF I've seen either depicts Weiss as totally haughty, or having a poor parental relationship. I don't believe that's the case, so I included that for myself. Third A/N, an apology for me being cheesy. Final A/N, I think that Yang would take on the more male role in a relationship, which is why I have her doing a wheelie, pulling out Blake's chair for her, and more. That's not saying that I think every relationship will have a male role, it just so happens to be that Yang has a personality lends to that. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated. Big thing though, how did I do with this particular chapter?**


	55. Chapter 55

Child of Grimm Ch. 55

"Are you positive about this?"

"100%. ASSN would be a non-issue on this date."

"Excellent. Inform Junior. You will both be operating on this, along with Junior's security."

_Beacon Academy: Team ASSN's Dorm_

Sal melted through the door, and Nor slipped through the cracks. Alan just opened up the door so that both him and Sarah could step in normally.

"Why do you two insist on doing that?" He asked.

"Because it's faster then waiting on you to take out your scroll," Sal replied, quickly pulling the blades out of his sleeves. He unloaded the small ammo clips that resided in the hilts, and then quickly reloaded them. He started to polish off the blades, and then he placed the blades back in his sleeves. Sarah just polished off her axes, while Nor treated her daggers to a similar process that Sal had. Alan sat at the window, and looked down at Beacon.

"Why do you think that Derek wanted him alive?" Alan suddenly asked.

"I guess he thought that his info could be useful," Sarah answered. "I don't see Derek doing something that he didn't deem necessary."

"But he would have every reason in the world to kill off a White Fang," Sal added in, checking the mechanism that brought out his blades. "It makes no sense for him to keep him alive."

"He must of have had his reasons," Nor contributed. "We could always ask. Or, we could do something else." Nor explained her plan briefly, and then they all went to work.

_DRGN's Dorm_

Derek walked into the dorm, and jumped onto his bed. He quickly stretched out, and thought about the decision that he had made. He willingly kept the White Fang alive, for other peoples satisfaction. _Oh well. I guess that the hard decisions just become easier to make. Sometimes my own personal pleasure comes later. _Derek leaned back, and then something caught his attention. He stood up again, and closed his window. He immediately walked back over to his bed, and sat down. But now he alert that something was wrong. He drew his sword, and started to clean it. Nothing happened in direct reply. Derek finally set down his sword, and sighed deeply.

"Hello ASSN," Derek said. "If you would all please step out of your hiding places, then we can talk like civilized people." The small pile of snow formed up into Nor, Sal emerged from the shadows, and Alan reappeared. He quickly tapped on the window twice, and a small purple glow appeared in the middle of the room. Sarah quickly teleported over, and Derek just let out an even larger sigh. "What is the purpose of this visit?"

"Why did you spare him?" Alan asked immediately. "It's not really our style to leave witnesses."

"He could be useful to others, and it's not really my style to execute people blatantly."

"We've heard over things," Nor said, casually drawing her daggers. She started to rub the blades against each other, and she looked at Derek.

"Pitty intimidation techniques will do little against me Nor. I've told you the truth, so therefor you should leave me alone."

"Not our style," Sal said. He quickly melted back into the shadows, and Derek just watched him carefully. He felt a bullet land on the back of his skull, and he just sighed. Derek raised up his fists, and awaited Sal's next move. He felt a decent kick in his back, and then a blow to his left. "You ever try shadow boxing?" Sal asked. His voice echoed across the room, and Derek just sighed.

"I have," he replied. "I think that you'll find that I'm quite good at it." In one swift movement, Derek turned and grabbed Sal's arm. He quickly tossed him over his shoulder, and he landed with a solid thud on the ground. The other members of ASSN looked at Sal in surprise. "Now, will you get out of my dorm?" ASSN nodded, and helped Sal to his feet. They quickly dragged him to his feet. They left the dorm, and Derek let out a sigh. He checked on his scroll, and he saw a picture from Monica. He eagerly opened it up, and saw that it was Monica standing in front of a car.

_Guess what happened?_

Derek typed out his reply, and allowed himself a smile. That explained why she didn't call the previous night. He checked the time stamp on the photo, and saw that it was from earlier. He immediately called Monica, and waited for her to pick up.

_The Next Morning: Cafeteria_

Derek walked over to the table, and sat down. He could see in RWBY's posture that they were very happy, so he could already tell that their night had gone well. His gaze narrowed at the sight of ASSN.

"Hello," Derek said. "Would you four mind telling me what the hell happened with last night?"

"We have a very specific way of doing things," Alan said. "Asking politely isn't really apart of it." Derek nodded in understanding, but he still felt a little suspicious towards them. Nor finally decided to take action.

"Listen," she said, raising up her knife. "We're a team of assassins, get used to not trusting us and us not trusting you." Derek nodded, and then went about eating. Pyrrha, Jaune, and RWBY just eyed their new friends cautiously. Pyrrha then decided to change the topic.

"So," Pyrrha said. "You four seem fairly happy."

"It was a good day yesterday," Ruby said, her mouth full of food. Weiss slapped her partner on the arm.

"Chew," she said. Ruby nodded, and chewed slowly. "Now swallow." Ruby swallowed. "Now you can speak. It's like I'm dealing with a kid."

"It was a good day yesterday," Ruby repeated.

"Didn't you guys have some sort of a team thing yesterday?" Jaune asked, waving around his fork.

"Yup," Yang said, trying to contain her joy. "We all had one big team dinner."

"You seem to have a lot of those," Pyrrha said. Alan said something to Sarah, and Derek listened in closely.

"Would it be rude to mention that they're dating?" Alan said quietly.

"Absolutely," Sarah replied. "We found out on accident, and it doesn't look like they want to be public." Derek realized just how involved ASSN really was.

"So where did you go?" Pyrrha asked.

"White Rose Diner," Ruby said immediately. The four of them had already discussed as to what to do. "We took our team car."

"You have a team car?" Jaune asked.

"Now we do," Weiss corrected. "My Dad decided to give us a car. Though, only Ruby and Yang know how to drive."

"How does Ruby know how to drive?"

"I taught her," Yang said. "As soon as I learned how to drive, I taught Ruby."

"How old were you?" Derek asked.

"About 15."

"So Ruby was 13?" Yang and Ruby both looked at each other, and then paused for a moment.

"Some details really aren't that important."

"How is the rest of your team doing?" Derek asked Jaune and Pyrrha.

"They're doing good," Pyrrha said. "They both grew up in the same town, so it makes it easy for them to call us. Nora is causing mayhem and Ren is just keeping them out of trouble." Derek nodded, and quickly ate the last of his pancakes. "Before you go," Pyrrha called out to him. Derek looked up at her, and gestured for her to go on. "How is your team doing?"

"Well," Derek replied. "Gwen and Nathan seem to be enjoying being home, as does Monica. She got a car by the way."

"Really?" Jaune said. "Is everyone getting a car but us?"

"Do you know how to drive?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune hesitated, and then put down his fork. "Then you understand why."

"I guess that we'll have a team car and I'll just fly along," Derek said.

"So you no longer have to fly her?" Blake asked.

"I'm sure that I won't get out of that," Derek said jokingly. ASSN stood up, and left the area. Derek wasn't sure if he enjoyed their company, or if he just liked to keep a close eye on them. "If you need me, I'll be in my dorm." The rest of his friends told him goodbye, and then he left the area.

_Gwen and Nathan_

Gwen quickly brushed off the last of the dust, and then whipped a small wind to get it in the garbage. She smiled at her work, and left her room. She looked around at her room. It was completely orange, and it was decorated with posters of the human minds and mental analytic sheets. Most people would never really understand exactly why she was as interested in the human mind as she was, but she had a good reason. Gwen liked to feel in control, and her semblance gave her a feeling of control. Wind was such a violent part of the weather, that having complete control over it made her feel almost unstoppable. Well, she dedicated her life to learning about the brain to never be out of control. If you talk to her, odds are she is already one step ahead of you.

"Gwen," her mother called down. "Breakfast is ready."

"Coming," Gwen said. She quickly opened up her door, and jumped off of the top floor. She placed a cushion of air on the ground, and gently floated herself down. She quickly rounded the corner, and stepped into the kitchen. Her mother set down a plate of bacon, sausage, and eggs. She smiled, and started to eat.

"Nathan said he might come over for breakfast," her mother said. Gwen nodded, and kept up eating. "And your father has been called away. He won't be joining us for breakfast." Gwen nodded again, and quickly slurped up her food.

"When is Nathan coming?" Gwen asked. "Did he specify?" Gwen heard a sharp knock on the door, and then she sighed. She quickly opened up the door with some wind, and then Nathan stepped into the house.

"Hey Gwen," he said. "I know we live together and all, but my mother really can't cook."

"You're fine," she said. "You're lucky that I've learned to tolerate you wolfy." Nathan gave his normal smirk, and took a seat at the table. He quickly propped up his tail, and then thought about how lucky he was. Him and Gwen had always grown up in the same town, and the town was always pretty small. They both pursued the same career, and they both went to the same school. But his real luck came in with his faunus heritage. He always a loud-mouth, smart-ass, and a faunus. For most people, that would cause issues. But wolves traveled in a pack. Him and Gwen were always together, and people hated her mind games. They never bothered him, and those that did were not good enough to withstand his fighting or Gwen's fighting. He never really thought too hard about it, but he realized that Derek was now his guardian angel. Everyone at Beacon knew that they couldn't touch anyone associated with Derek without consequence. Nathan always had someone helping him, but as a wolf faunus it was something he took for granted.

"So what has school been like for you Nathan?" Gwen's mother asked. "I've never asked."

"It's been going good," Nathan said. "I'm doing well in my classes, and excelling in the field. D has certainly been a big help to us."

"Yes, Derek. He seems..."

"Interesting?" Gwen added in.

"Yes, that'll work. What exactly does he do in his off time?"

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked.

"Mom," Gwen said. "He doesn't want you to know about him. I've already told you that."

"Is there anything you can tell me?" Gwen's mother asked.

"I may have something Mrs. Roberts," Nathan said. "He hates the White Fang, take away from that what you will."

"I see."

"And he hates losing, more then anything else. He hates bullies, he hates large social interactions, and he just plain hates most things. This is one case that I suggest you back away from." Gwen's mother nodded, and went about putting away her dishes. She knew better then to pursue something that a wolf faunus recommended staying away from, no matter how much she was interested in Derek. Mrs. Roberts was a criminal analyst, and Mr. Roberts was a police officer. Some things ran in the family. Nathan stood up, and brushed off his hands.

"Well it's time to hunt for a tree," he said. "And in my family, the hunting part is quite literal. See you around Mrs. R, and I'll probably see you soon Gwen."

"See ya wolfy," Gwen said, leaning back in her chair. She was going to kick her boots up, but her mother looked at her disapprovingly. Gwen sighed, and then sat up.

"You know that I only disliked you putting your boots on the table," she said. "It's just a pain in the ass to clean up." Gwen smiled, and leaned back in her chair.

_The Silver Woods_

Nathan stepped into his woods, his axe raised. Around him was his older brother, his older sister, his younger brother, and his younger sister. Every one of his siblings were twins, except for him. He was the lone wolf in the family, which was just a long running joke at this point.

"Boy do you smell," his older sister said.

"Can it Rain," her brother said. "At least I don't mask our scent with perfume."

"Watch it Rodger." Nathan smiled at his older siblings banter. How they would both flunk out of school, and end up at home, was beyond him. Just sheer dumb luck, because they hated each other.

"Will you two stop arguing?" His younger brother said.

"I'm with Sil," his younger sister said.

"You know," Nathan said. "The twins are right."

"Which ones?" All four of them said in unity. Nathan smiled at the general confusion that he was able to cause.

"That would be the Silver twins." Sil and Ver were the names of the younger twins, something that their parents would only regret later on. Sil was quite a marksman, while Ver was an excellent swordsman. The older twins {R&R} were both lousy scholars, but they both were quite good with their respective weapons. An axe, and a sword. "R&R are rarely right."

"Hey," R&R said.

"We're close to a tree," Nathan said. "And close to a couple of Grimm. Get ready to fight." Sil pulled out a rifle, and stepped behind Ver, who had already drawn their sword. R&R drew their weapons, a sword for Rain and an axe for Rodger. Nathan raised up his axe, and stood in front of everyone. He was the best fighter of the group. He quietly walked through the woods, and they reached the tree. It was a fair sized tree that him and R&R would be in charge of carrying. He checked the branches, and saw a small nest on it. He looked over at it, and studied the contents. He took a deep whiff, and then jumped down.

"What you got Lone?" Rodger asked.

"Nevermore," he said. "A smaller one. The mother will come back soon. I see no reason to kill it yet. Let's move the next over to another tree. Silver twins, you're up." Sil gently plucked off the nest, and lowered it down to Ver. Ver walked over to a nearby tree, and set down the nest on it. Nathan tossed up his axe, and swung it around into the tree. He kept going until the tree fell over, and R&R picked up the tree.

"Hey Lone," Rain called out. "Mind given your big sis a hand?" Nathan picked up the end of the tree, and the five of them walked away.

**End: A little bit of Gwen and Nathan for ya. The R&R twins were not meant to be a play off of the R&R connection in Achievement Hunter, I just realized it after I had written that part. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	56. Chapter 56

Child of Grimm Ch. 56

**One more reminder for the drawing request. I can bring up a brief summaries of the OC's if anyone would like that for convenience. Just leave it in the reviews, or PM me.**

"Interesting turn of events Cinder," Xander said as he approached her. They were both in the conference room, with no one else present. "Team ASSN will still be a non-issue, but I'm going to need our best pair. The twins."

"Why?" Cinder asked impatiently.

"To take care of the swappy lady of course."

"Take care of? I thought that they would be a non-issue?"

"They will. I just never specified as to what I meant. We'll have to fight them, but all of us have a way to deal with the members. So long as I can have the twins."

"Fine. This solution might be better long term anyway." Xander smiled, and left the room. "You leave now. Pick up the twins and Junior on the way." Xander called back a yes, and kept going. He passed by the twins room, and he knocked on the door. They opened up the door, and just frowned at him.

"You again," Miltia said.

"Stay away from us," Melanie replied.

"Fat chance," Xander said. "You're needed on a mission. Let's go, and Junior will be joining us."

"Fine," Miltia said.

"So long as we get paid," Melanie replied. The three of them started to walk off, and they passed Junior. He was on a bench, his batzooka on the ground next to him.

"Get up," Xander barked. Junior smiled, and picked up his weapon. "The twins will be accompanying us. Is that going to be an issue?"

"So long as they don't fail," Junior snarled.

"Don't worry about the chance of failure. That's my job." Xander lead them to the bullhead, and he leaned his head back. "Let's see what we're up against," he whispered quietly. The bullhead started to take off, and Xander let his eyes gloss over.

He was on the freighter. Xander looked down at the sight in front of him, and watched over it carefully. He snapped his fingers, and the scene came to life. Junior was knocked back, and the twins were both hit out of the way. Xander watched the image of himself be surrounded, and he backed it up. He switched around the three of them to another side of the ship, and he could see the assassin's coming. He smiled to himself, and spread them apart. He watched Alan go after the twins, while Sarah took on Junior. He quickly backed it up again, and then swapped around Junior and the twins. Alan attacked Junior, and Sarah went after the twins. Xander smiled to himself, and then brought himself out of the image.

He opened up his eyes, and then looked around at everyone on the bullhead.

"Alright ladies," he said. "Here's the plan." He pulled out his scroll, and displayed the image of the freighter. "We'll land here," he pointed to the left side of the ship. "And then we start to cause havoc and open up the main dust storage. Your security," Xander pointed at Junior. "Will start unloading the crates. We'll watch over them, with a small security patrol. ASSN should arrive right after that."

"ASSN?" Junior asked. "I thought you said that they would be a non-issue?"

"They will be. So long as you do what I say. Junior will be here," Xander pointed several crates to his left. "And the twins will here," he finally pointed several crates to his right. "Twins, little switchy will be after you. Fight back to back, and then you'll be fine. Junior, Mr. Invisible will come after you. One thing he can't cloak is his heat. I've got the shadow and the snow." Junior and the twins nodded, and Xander sat back in his chair. His semblance was tricky. Occasionally, he could get into the confirmed future, and modify different variables to see exactly what would happen. More often then not, he would just get a feeling of what would happen. But he was getting better with it, and people were willing to pay him quite a lot for his knowledge.

_Dust Freighter_

The criminals had silently docked on the unoccupied side of the ship. The main brains were all waiting for the time to strike, and Xander knew exactly when that was.

"Why is this not a Schnee company freighter?" Junior asked. "Surely, there's more dust to be made off of that."

"There is," Xander said. "But the real objective is to put the brats in ASSN in their place. Would you like to have to deal with RWBY and the dragon?" Junior shook his head. "Then don't question me. Here we go." Several trucks arrived, and the crewmen stepped out of them. Xander waited for the one he wanted, and then pointed to him. "See that guy?" Everyone nodded. "He's going to duck behind those boxes," Xander pointed to a small stack. "Normally, we'd just pull him out and kill him. But, he's going to call the cops. I'm going to stand where he can get a good view of me, and let him describe me. I should come up as a red flag for the cops, and they'll contact Beacon. Ozpin will contact ASSN, and they'll come out to fight us." Everyone nodded, and Xander saw his chance. He signaled to the others, and he walked out into public.

"LISTEN UP NIGHT CREW!" He yelled out. Xander raised up Nest, and fired off several rounds of fire dust. The workers all ducked down in fear, and some of the security pulled out their rifles. Junior's security already had their pistols drawn, and they quickly executed the security. "YOU ARE UNDER SOME NEW MANAGEMENT! WE'LL SIMPLY BE TAKING SOME ITEMS, AND WE'LL GET ON OUR WAY. IF YOU WISH TO LIVE, DON'T TRY ANYTHING HEROIC." Xander casually leaned against some boxes, and signaled for everyone to start on things.

The worker was cowaring behind a stack of boxes. He looked over, and saw one of the criminals. He pulled out his phone, and dialed the emergency numbed.

"What's your emergency?" The operator said.

"I work for a Snow Company dust freighter," the worked said quickly. "We're in the process of being robbed."

"Can you see any of the assailants?"

"Yes. Most of them are wearing red suits and black ties. One of them is dressed differently. He was the one that threatened us."

"Sir, we need a good description of him."

"He's wearing an red, leather jacket. The front of it is open. His shirt is yellow. He has on red jeans."

"We need something apart from his clothing."

"He has red spiked up hair and yellow eyes. Oh, the entire left side of his face is scared." The operator went dead silent.

"Did you say scared?"

"Yeah. What's the issue?" Before the operator could answer, he felt a strong blow to his side. He was thrown to the side, and he looked up to see a man in a black vest.

"I thought we told you you didn't want to play hero," he said in a gruff voice. He raised up his weapon, and pulled the trigger.

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

He was just going through reports on his scroll. He saw that there was a red box on the upper right hand of his scroll, and he clicked on it. He read the report, and his face darkened. He looked over to Goodwitch, and she saw the urgency.

"Get ASSN," he said.

_Snow Company Freighter_

Xander looked around at the frightened crew, and smiled. This was his favorite part of the job. He would almost do it if there was no pay. Junior walked up to him, the barrel of his batzooka smoking.

"He got in the call," Junior said.

"That means we should expect them soon," Xander said. He looked over at the door to the main storage area, and he saw that it wasn't opened up. "What's the issue?"

"We're having issues with prying it open." Xander angrily grabbed the batzooka, and walked away.

"Give me that." Xander walked over to the vault, and aimed it at the entrance to the main storage. He fired off the weapon, and destroyed the entrance. He tossed the weapon back to Junior. "Next time, just do that." Xander walked to the back of the ship, and gestured for the twins and Junior to follow him. He quickly pointed at some of the guards, and gestured for them to follow. They waited at the back of the ship, for their prey to arrive.

Xander had resorted to tossing up his weapons, while still keeping a close eye on the scene. Junior was in position, keeping an eye on his operation. The twins were just sitting slackly, waiting on their cue. Xander suddenly stopped tossing up his weapons, and he just smiled to himself.

"You three," he pointed to the nearby guards. "Move up." The guards cautiously stepped forward, while the twins and Junior quickly sat up. The guards were suddenly pulled from their view, and Xander smiled again. "ASSN!" He yelled out. "Come on, fight us! We can take you." He felt a sudden punch across his face, and he backed up slightly. He felt another blow to his back, and then another blow to his leg. He turned and swung his Nest into Sal's face. He fell back, and Xander smiled. Suddenly, he felt a cut across his face. He snarled, and turned to see Nor.

"You don't attack my families freighter," she said.

"Oh, but I do snowflake," Xander replied. He swung around his Hive into her face, and several snowflakes broke off of it. She turned around, and her face regenerated. "Your semblance repairs the damage, but let's see how much longer you can hold up." He felt another blow to his left, and he turned to see Sal right next to him. "So much for a fair fight," he said teasingly. "I would of have brought several more besides that." Sal and Nor charged him, and Xander swung around his weapons.

The twins were waiting on their target to attack. They saw a quick purple glow near them, and then Miltia felt a strong blow across her face. The glow disappeared, and then Melanie felt a blow across her face. They saw another purple glow, and the twins backed up against each other.

Junior was waiting, his batzooka in bat form, waiting on a move. He heard a slight hiss, and he jumped out of the way. He heard a solid thud next to him, and he looked over to see an arrow.

"It's not that silent," Junior threatened. He looked over to see Alan jump down from a perch, and draw his swords. He charged forward, and swung around both of his swords in an overhead strike. Junior blocked it with his batzooka, and then forced his swords up. He swung around his bat, and made contact with Alan's midsection. He swung around his bat again, and again, and again. Alan backed away, clearly battered by the strikes. He quickly vanished, and then Junior backed away. He felt a blow to his side, and then another one. He felt a temporary halt in the attacks, and he switched around his batzooka to it's bazooka form. He quickly looked around through the thermal sight, and he found Alan. He smiled, and pulled the trigger. Alan jumped off of his perch, and just managed to avoid the explosions. Before he could stand, several missiles landed in front of him, and sent him sailing through the air. Junior rushed forward, and hit him one more time. Alan landed with a thud, and he struggled to get up.

Melanie blocked one of Sarah's axes, and then she was gone. Miltia quickly raised her claws, and stopped her next attack. Melanie kicked out, and felt her shoe make contact with Sarah before she teleported off. Miltia lowered her claws, and then swung them straight up after a moment. They saw Sarah go through the air, but teleport just before she hit the ground. The twins raised up their weapons again, and Melanie spotted a purple glow to their side. She jumped up, and swung her foot down at the glow. She felt a solid blow land on Sarah's head, and she looked at the hurting girl in satisfaction.

Xander swung around his Nest into Nor's stomach, but she just dissolved into snow. He swung around Hive to where he thought that Sal was, but he could tell that he danced out of the way. He saw the snow swirl around him, and the shadows dance nearby him. He snarled angrily, and then he remembered his plan.

"You two have quite the bag of tricks," he said. "But sadly, there is one thing that effects both snow and shadows." He jumped up into the air, and aimed nest straight at the ground. He fired it off, and a solid column of flames hit the ground. The fire spread out, and the snow and shadows both retreated. He landed just as the fire dispersed, and he saw that Nor was forming while Sal was flickering in and out of his shadows. Even better, they were right next to each other. He raised up Hive, and fired off a round of 32 explosives. Sal and Nor were launched back, and Xander put both weapons on his shoulders.

"HEY!" He called out to everyone. "Are you finished yet?"

"Yes sir," one of the guards called back.

"Good. Let's get out of her. Junior, Malachite, are you finished yet?"

"Absolutely," Junior called back.

"Yes we are," the twins called back.

"Good," Xander yelled back. He jumped up onto the bullhead, and waited for them to join them. The transporters that were loaded with the dust took a minute to take off, but they got in the air before ASSN could truly regain their footing.

"Alright kiddies," Xander said. He gestured for Junior to follow his lead, and he raised up Hive. Junior smiled as he pointed batzooka at the hull of the ship. "Let's see how your sea legs really are." Both he and Junior pulled the trigger, and blew a large hole in the side of the freighter. They watched the crew jump to get off of the ship, and ASSN struggle to stand up. "Why should it be that easy?" Xander pointed Nest at them, and launched off a wave of fire. He tapped on the pilots door. "Get going. We're done here." The bullhead flew up into the air, and they left for their base.

ASSN struggled to their feet just in time to see the flames land around them. Nor quickly swept herself up into dust, and carried herself over it. She landed on the ground, and collapsed to the ground. Sal jumped over the fire, and helped his partner to her feet. Alan pulled back his bow, and fired off a water arrow to extinguish some of the fire. He dragged Sarah forward, and they got to the edge of the ship. It was starting to tip, and they realized that they wouldn't be able to make that jump. Sarah looked back, and saw some of the flames reach the ignored dust containers. She grabbed the rest of her team, and teleported them to the docks. As soon as they made it, she collapsed and the rest of the ship exploded. Alan looked back, and realized just how close to death he had brought his team.

_Bullhead_

Xander pulled out his scroll, and kicked his feet up.

"I hope this is good news Xander," Cinder said from his scroll.

"Don't worry hot stuff," Xander said. "Either ASSN is dead, or we're in their head. Either way, we've won."

"I hope you can do the same for DRGN, RWBY, JNPR, and LOOS."

"Already working on it Cindy. I'll give you a full report when I get there."

"I look forward to it."

**End: A glimpse into the mind of Xander. So he's not really crazy, he just is able to run the probabilities of what happens in the future in his head, which has driven him to the brink of insanity. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	57. Chapter 57

Child of Grimm Ch. 57

**Crossed over both the 45 favorites and the 55 followers mark, with potentially one of my biggest one. JAUNE ARC! Y'all are jelly. Also, learned a little bit of baseball {shoutout to gillambeck}. Now past the jokes that only myself and potentially two other people will get, let's get started.**

Derek stretched out on his bed. He had just finished up another call with Gwen and Nathan, and another call with Monica. Those always made him feel great, so he decided to just lay in wait for his day to throw something at him. It had been a while since something had gone wrong, and his life never held everything in perfection for very long. He saw that he had a message from Ozpin, and he smiled to himself. _Here we go again. _He looked over, and made his way to the medical ward.

_Beacon Academy: Medical Ward_

Derek entered the ward, and saw that Ozpin was standing by four beds. He looked into them, and he was a little surprised.

"ASSN?" Derek asked. All of the members looked at him, and then looked down. "Ozpin, what happened?"

"A Snow Company freighter got robbed," Ozpin said. "I sent them in, simply because Nor's father runs the company."

"Nor Snow," Derek said slowly, testing the words. "Your father is Grey Snow. Of course."

"Well, apparently some people were waiting on them. Xander, Junior, and the Malachite twins."

"Junior? He's working with them?" Ozpin nodded.

"I figured you'd wish to be informed."

"Why wasn't I informed immediately?"

"I thought ASSN could handle it. According to them, the four of them knew exactly how to combat their strengths. I thought you might want to know." Derek nodded, and turned to leave. Before he did, he saw Roxanne walking to the team.

"Roxanne?" Derek asked. She turned, and briefly waved. "Do you ever stop working?"

"Nope," she said simply, before walking over to ASSN.

"Keep me in the loop." Derek exited the ward, and left for his dorm.

_Hidden Complex_

Xander, Junior, and the twins walked into the conference room. They saw that Torchwick, Bush, Adam, and Cinder were waiting on them to return.

"Xander," Cinder said. "You've done well. All of us are impressed with your work. You've just bought yourself a position behind Roman."

"Thank you my lady," Xander said with a bow and a smile. "It's my duty." He stood upright, and tossed his weapons into the air.

"Now that we're sure it works, will you kindly explain your semblance?"

"Of course."

"Wait," Torchwick said. "He has a semblance?"

"Of course I do slick," Xander replied with a smile. "You don't come as pricey as me without a semblance, nor do you come as revered." He walked up to the head of the table, and Cinder gestured for him to continue. "To put it in a way that even the most simple minded can understand, I can see into the future. To put it in a more realistic matter, I can see the probabilities and variables of what will happen in the future. If I concentrate hard enough, I can even go in and change around the variables. For example, the boat. There's a boat coming into the harbor, and that variable is set. The snow storm, where ASSN came in from, and where we came from were all the most drastic variables."

"What snow storm?" Junior asked.

"Bingo thug. There was no snow storm, thus removing that variable completely. It's a task that has brung me to this point in my sanity, but I'm going to keep going. I just like the money too much." Xander jumped onto a chair, and spun himself around.

"So the mad man serves a purpose," Bush said.

"Hey, swordsman, I don't see you with a win against any of them. I've taken down S-N from ASSN, and W-Y for RWBY. You've got a split series against Derek. As a matter of fact," Xander stood up to face them. "It seems that I'm the only one who hasn't let these _kids _stop them. Of course, you haven't had that issue boss." Xander sat back in his chair, and kicked his yellow boots up on the table. "I think that maybe y'all should take the mad man a little more seriously." The others snarled at him, but complied with his request.

"I must admit," Cinder said. "He does have a point. All of you," she pointed to the other six around the table. "Have a loss against one member from those teams. Perhaps a much larger role is in store for you."

"Thank you again my lady."

"On to our other business. The other two have some tasks they want carried out."

_Team RWBY's Dorm_

"RUBY!" Weiss erupted. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Ruby sat down on her bed, fumbling with her fingers. Weiss had discovered that her personal belongings, and Ruby was standing with a personal crate of dust in her hands.

"I'm sorry Weiss," Ruby said. "I just thought that maybe you had something that I needed."

"What could you possibly need from me?!" Weiss said angrily. Ruby shrunk down, and she looked afraid to say anything. "Well?"

"I wanted to see if you had one of your tiaras as a backup," Ruby confessed. "Just to try on." Weiss' face twisted in shock, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. "I'm sorry Weiss," Ruby said again. Weiss realized the sheer amount of innocence in her partner's request, and her expression softened.

"You're fine," Weiss said, sitting next to Ruby. She gently rubbed Ruby's back, and looked into her partner's eyes. "I shouldn't of have gotten so angry." Ruby wrapped her partner up in a hug. Weiss tentatively hugged her partner back, and just sat like that. After a minute, Ruby pulled out of the hug. She stood up, and gathered some of her stuff. "Where are you going?" Weiss asked.

"Yang wanted to take me somewhere," Ruby called back. "I'll be back soon." She opened up the door, and Blake was standing at the door. "Oh," Ruby said. "Hey Blake."

"Yang's in the front," Blake said. Ruby nodded, and left. Blake sat on her bed, and pulled out a book. She leaned back, and started to read. Weiss sat awkwardly for a moment, and then she lay back. Weiss quickly pulled out a textbook, and started to study.

_Beacon Academy: Front Lawn_

Yang was sitting on a bench, waiting on her sister. She had just gotten done with walking around, unable to sit for very much longer.

"Hey Yang," she heard from behind her. Yang turned to see Ruby walking up to her, and she quickly wrapped her sister in a hug. "What's up?"

"How has Weiss been treating you?" Yang asked immediately, pulling out of the hug and resting her hands on Ruby's shoulders.. "Do I need to talk to her?"

"Yang, she's fine. For the millionth time, stop worrying."

"Are you sure?" Yang said, lifting her arms up. "Because if you need me..." Yang cracked her knuckles, and then cracked her neck. Ruby laughed, but Yang looked serious.

"Come on Yang," Ruby said, gently nudging her sister. "Stop worrying."

"But you're my baby sister. And so much has happened in your life..." Yang left the end hanging, but Ruby knew exactly what she was talking about.

"What about you and Blake?" Ruby asked. Yang's expression brightened.

"It's been great. We really like each other."

"I'm glad." Ruby and Yang sat their awkwardly for a moment, but Yang figured out what to say quickly.

"So has Weiss tried to do anything with you?" Yang asked, partially joking and partially protective.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "Like, kissing?" Yang's shoulders relaxed slightly as she realized that her sister was far off base with her own fears.

"Yeah," Yang replied. "Like kissing."

"No." Yang stopped.

"No?"

"No." Yang tried to comprehend what her sister just said. "Yang, we haven't tried anything."

"How have you not kissed?" Yang asked, completely baffled.

"We just haven't." Yang sat down, and stared down her sister.

"Alright little sis, I'm going to help you out."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek sat down on his bed again, and put his head in his hands. So much was running through his mind, and most of it troubled him. He pulled out his scroll, and found the Rat's name.

_Rat, can you do me a favor?_

_Depends on how difficult the favor is._

_A mercenary by the name of Xander._

_Well not that difficult at all. Sending over my file now._

Derek opened up the file, and quickly looked through the info. He finally found something that troubled him, and he set it down. He lay back on his bed, and let out a loud groan. It was right around this point that he wish he had someone to turn to. Sure, there was LOOS. They shared his ultimate burden, but they were constantly busy. Then there was JNPR, but Derek still hadn't really formed a solid opinion on most of them. He had completely erased ASSN from teams that he could trust. That left him with RWBY. With the new found dynamics among them, Derek just didn't feel like intruding. _I could always call Monica. Or I could visit Monica. I don't know where Monica lives. I could ask Rat to trace her signal, but that's creepier then romantic. I'm left with absolutely no options. I could always take a flight, clear my head that way. Worth a shot. _Derek jumped out of the window, and took off across campus.

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

Weiss and Blake were both lying on their beds, just looking over their books. The door opened, and they looked up at their partners.

"Weiss," Ruby said. "We should go on a date." Yang bit her lip nervously. A little bit more blunt then what she would of have anticipated, but it was better then nothing. Weiss looked at her partner in surprise. "I have a good place picked out, and we have the car. What should we call it anyway? Anyway, what do you say?"

"Um," Weiss said. "Sure. Where?"

"The White Serpent." Weiss thought for a while, and she just nodded.

"But if we're going there, then you need new clothes." Weiss stood up, and tossed the keys to her partner. "Come on Ruby, we're buying you something nice." Weiss dragged Ruby out of the dorm, and Blake and Yang just watched them.

"Young love," Blake said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey Blake," Yang said. "We should go on a date to the White Serpent." Blake looked up at her partner, nothing but suspicion filling her eyes. "I need to keep an eye on my baby sister, and make sure that everything goes well." Blake tilted her head, and let her eyes do the talking. "Okay, I'll explain."

**End: A little bit of everything {apart from action}. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	58. Chapter 58

Child of Grimm Ch. 58

**FUCKING CHROMEBOOKS! Re-writing this chapter, posted my drawing request to reddit because why the fuck not? Also, not going to cover the Ruby and Weiss shopping trip because it is way outside of my comfort zone as a writer. **

Blake was laying on her bed, reading. Yang had left a while ago, leaving her to her own devices. Blake enjoyed the company of her teammates. That being said, she was still a girl that enjoyed all the time alone that she could get. She briefly glanced at the window, and then noticed Derek circling around Beacon. Blake stood up, and looked out the window. He only did this in the morning, or when he needed to clear his head. Since it wasn't the morning, something was troubling him. Blake briefly tossed around the idea of visiting him, seeing what was troubling him. Before she made up her mind, Blake heard the door be thrown open.

"I'm baaaaack," Yang called out cheerfully. Blake stepped down, and faced her partner. Yang held up a bag, and shook it. "I bought us some things." Yang pulled out a trench coat and a fedora, and tossed it over to Blake. Blake inspected the two black articles of clothing, and started to put them on. "I didn't know your size, so I took a guess." Blake finished putting on the trench coat, and quickly removed her bow and placed on her hat. Blake looked at her partner, and tilted the brim to just above her eyes.

"How do I look?" Blake asked. Yang smiled.

"Like a smooth criminal," Yang replied, walking closer to Blake. "A real _cat _bugler." Blake pushed away her partner, and took off the hat. "Why'd you remove your bow?"

"I don't need two items to conceal my ears." Yang shrugged, and briefly showed off her own fedora and trench coat.

"I got us reservations that will be nearby Ruby and Weiss. So long as we wear these disguises, we should be fine. Ruby will know to look for us, but Weiss won't."

"Why exactly are we doing this again?"

"Because I really want to make sure this goes over well for my little sister." Blake shrugged, and walked to the door. "Where are you going?"

"Something's wrong with Derek," Blake said. "I want to see what."

"Then I'm going with you." Blake shrugged, and let her partner trail her.

_Team DRGN's Dorm_

Derek closed the window, and laid down on the bed. The flight helped him sort out some things, and now he felt more at ease. His temptation to visit Monica had been diminished, especially after he realized that there was no way he could do it without being creepy. _I could ask Ozpin for her address. I'm sure he knows. _Derek shook the idea out of his mind, and just closed his eyes. _Maybe a bit of rest might help ease my mind. _Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a knock on his door. He let out a heavy sigh, and dragged himself to the door. He opened it up, and saw Blake and Yang standing at the door.

"Hellooooo," Yang said. "Can we come in?" Derek stepped aside, and let the two of them enter his dorm. They both sat down on Gwen's bed, and Derek jumped onto his own.

"What's up?" Derek asked. "And I swear, if this is about dating advice I will light this whole place on fire. I'll survive."

"You really jump to drastic conclusions," Yang remarked.

"Call it my nature."

"Anyway," Blake said. "Something's troubling you."

"What gives you that impression kitty cat?" Derek asked, trying to play it off.

"You only fly around when it's early in the morning, or something's troubling you. Since it's in the afternoon, what's troubling you?"

"I hate how observant my friends are, you know that?" Blake and Yang both nodded, but showed no signs of leaving. "ASSN returned from a mission against some familiar faces. Xander, Junior, and the Malachite twins conducted a dust raid against the Snow Company. They were beaten, quite handily might I add. That isn't troubling me as much as Xander's file is. His semblance is incredibly rare, and only a few people have ever been reported with it. Even at that, several were found out to be faking it. It's a way to see into the future. He must of have used that to predict where ASSN was coming in. He suddenly became a much bigger issue then I would of have ever anticipated. He has already defeated yourself," Derek pointed at Yang. "And Weiss. Not to mention he won a two on one fight against Nor and Sal. My abilities are already rendered useless against him. Beating him is going to be a task."

"Is that all?" Yang asked, concern popping up in her voice.

"That and I'm debating a much simpler issue. That you will offer no help on."

"You dare doubt me?" Derek looked at Yang, and he realized that maybe he shouldn't of have said anything.

"It's just about whether or not to visit Monica at her home."

"What's stopping you?" Yang challenged.

"It really is quite simple, I don't know her address." Yang and Blake both thought for a moment, and then realized his predicament. "I could have her signal tracked, but that would be a little stalkerish, don't you think?" Yang and Blake looked at each other, and Yang raised up her hand. "Yes, I know that Ozpin probably has her address. It's still not something that I wish to have done. I've gone summers while only seeing Ozpin and the occasional trainer, I think I can manage three weeks. Or, less time now."

"Why wouldn't you go?" Blake asked. Derek shrugged, and continue to lay on his bed.

"Well," Yang said. "We'll be leaving now. We have some other business to attend to."

"Anything that you require my assistance on?" Derek asked. Yang was about to shake her head, but then something occurred to her.

"Now that you mention it," she replied deviously. "I think I do have a way that you'll be able to help with."

_Later on that night: Beacon Academy: Roof_

_I can't believe they got me to agree to this. Summer, I want bonus points for this. _Derek was perched on the roof, his gaze intensely focused on the garage. He found himself remembering's Yang's closing argument. _You and I both made a promise to Summer that we would watch out for Ruby, and this extends to that realm. _Such a convincing final thing to say, and it had worked. Though, when he made that promise, he didn't imagine himself flying along as stealthily as possible and monitoring over her on a date. Derek saw the car come out of the garage, and he spread his wings. _Showtime. _He jumped off of the roof, and caught the breeze.

_Beacon Garage: Moments Before_

Yang was talking to Ruby, while Blake just waited by Weiss.

"What do you think she's saying?" Weiss asked. Blake looked at the heiress. She wasn't normally one to ask questions.

"Probably letting Ruby know to call her if you cause problems," Blake said. Weiss nodded, her expression becoming slightly paler. "Relax, you won't cause her problems." Ruby and Yang walked over to them, and Weiss took a second to take in her partner. Ruby was wearing a short red dress, with her cloak attached to the back of it. No matter how hard Weiss tried, she couldn't convince Ruby to get rid of it. It held some form of a strong significance with her, and Weiss respected some of her personal boundaries. Ruby had traded out her normal boots, for just a simple pair of red and black vans.

"Ready?" Ruby asked. Weiss nodded, and entered the passenger seat.

"HAVE HER HOME BY 10:00!" Yang yelled out.

"I will," Weiss called back.

"YOU BETTER!" Ruby fired up the engine, and the pair drove off. Yang looked at her scroll, and made note of the time. She quickly stepped outside, and watched Derek fly down from the roof. Keep a close eye on them, Yang thought. After a ten minute delay, Yang walked back into the garage. She tossed on her trench coat and fedora, while Blake was already wearing hers. Yang jumped onto Bumblebee, and Blake hopped on behind her. They drove off, and made a beeline for the restaurant.

_The White Serpent_

_Always this place? Why is it always this place? Why do I constantly end up at a restaurant called the White Serpent? _Derek was perched up on a rooftop that was directly across from the White Serpent. He could see perfectly inside of the restaurant, and his night vision already assisted. He radiated enough body heat that keeping warm was a non-issue. He kept a close eye, and then he noticed Bumblebee pulling up to the restaurant. He pulled out his scroll, and clicked on Yang's name. Her image appeared on the screen, her face partially obscured by a hat.

"Hello?" She said.

"Remind me again why I'm on top of a building?" Derek said.

"What do you have?" Yang asked, clearly not in the mood for jokes.

"They're in the restaurant. If you skip appetizers, you'll be even with them."

"Thanks again Derek."

"You owe me for this."

"No, you owe Summer. Consider this a step in the right direction." Derek grumbled, and hung up. He kept looking over the restaurant, and just sighed. _This is going to be a long night. _He heard his stomach growl, and he let out another sigh. _Looks like dinner is going to be late tonight. _

_The White Serpent: Blang_

Blake was sitting across from Yang, her hat on securely. They both had gotten water, and they looked over the menu. Yang was sitting with her back to Ruby and Weiss, for the convenience of the fact that Blake had better vision then her. She was trying to ignore her sister right behind her, but it was difficult.

"Relax Yang," Blake said, resting her hand on her partner's. "I promise that I'll let you know if something happens." Yang nodded, and continued to look at the menu. "Just think of the beautiful dinner you're having with your girlfriend." Yang smiled, and then relaxed a little.

_Reiss_

Ruby took in another deep breath before taking another bite of her food. Weiss was looking at her oddly, confused as to why her partner was breathing so heavily.

"Are you okay Ruby?" Weiss asked. "Do you need CPR? Or do you have allergies?"

"Totally fine," Ruby said.

"You don't sound it."

"Just swallowed wrong." Ruby was incredibly nervous. She knew that her big sister was watching over them, and she was vaguely aware that Yang had asked Derek to attend to this as well. As soon as she finished up dinner, things would happen. Ruby's nerves were through the roof, and she already was bad with people.

_Hidden Complex_

"Well Xander, it seems that you've done quite well with Cinder."

"So long as she pays me, I could care less who I work for."

"Well, consider our offer. You'd still technically work for her, but we'd be paying you more to assist in anything that we'd also need."

"Is she aware of your... Plans?"

"Of course. She pays the standard fee, while we handle any extra expenses."

"Sounds good to me. Extra money equals extra work. And in my line, extra damage."

_Rooftop: Nearby White Serpent_

Derek thought very carefully. _The culprit here is very intelligent. This has gotten very difficult. Luckily, they made one mistake. _He swiftly made his move, and smiled. The counter came quickly, and he frowned. He saw the one move to win it all, and he did it. He placed a circle in the upper right hand corner, and dragged down a line of flames through the center of the tic-tac-toe board he had crafted out of flames. He slashed his hand through it, and sighed. _The Taituo side of my mind isn't good at this game. _He banged his head against the concrete, and left a small impression. He sighed again, and just looked at the restaurant. He saw Weiss set down the checkbook, and bring Ruby out of the restaurant. His attention was now completely focused, and he dove off of the building.

_Blang_

Yang watched her sister leave the restaurant, and sighed. Blake took the last bite of her soup, and looked at Yang.

"Dessert?" She asked.

"I'll get you something latter kitty," Yang said.

"You do realize that we can't leave immediately?" Yang growled angrily. "Might as well stay here with dessert. Waitress."

_Reiss_

Ruby calmly drove the car down the road, and tried to prevent from rushing herself.

"That was a good dinner," Weiss said, looking out the window. Ruby nodded, and kept along. "You're being really quiet. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Uh-huh," Ruby said. Keeping her eyes on the road.

"Would you mind explaining to me why Derek is behind us?" Ruby's face completely crumpled. "And why I saw Bumblebee outside of the restaurant?" Now Ruby's heart sank. "Well?"

"It was Yang's idea," Ruby blurted. "The restaurant, letting you dress me up, everything."

"Why?" Ruby seemed to shuffle around in her seat. "Ruby," Weiss scolded.

"Can we talk about this later?" Ruby tried. "We're already almost at Beacon." Weiss sighed, but started a lecture to Ruby about what she had done. Ruby ignored her, and then pulled up into the Beacon garage.

"Okay Ruby," Weiss said. "What was the big idea?" Ruby closed her eyes, and thought for a moment. "Ruby!" Ruby opened up her eyes, and grabbed Weiss. She quickly pulled her in for a kiss. Ruby pulled out of it, and saw that Weiss' expression was one of utter shock. "Ruby?" She said slowly.

"That was the big idea," Ruby said.

**End: Update on drawing: Someone is working on it right now. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	59. Chapter 59

Child of Grimm Ch. 59

**The drawing should be done by the end of the week according to muffinsealeater on reddit {who is drawing it}. Thank you to him. Also, 60 followers! And I got it off of a joke to the author of Blood Rose {shoutout to Rapey Lemons}. Anyway, here is this chapter.**

Xander walked down the halls, a slight spring in his step. He tossed up his weapons, and kept going. He felt himself bump into someone, and he glared down at them. It was one of the White Fang assisting them.

"Watch it," Xander said, brushing off his jacket. The White Fang nodded, and started to walk off. Xander kept going, though he now had a slight snarl on his face. He saw someone else walk up to him, though they stopped partway there. "Alright buddy, I got someone to meet."

"And you just have," the man replied, a strong Romanian accent evident in his voice. "I was sent to find a Xander Scars. I believe that is you."

"That is my merc name, yes." Xander took a moment to look over the man. He wore a long red cloak, with gold embroideries around the edges. He looked at the rest of his wardrobe, and saw that he wore a red shirt, and gold pants. He had high boots, and a small layer of golden chain armor. "You are quite the flashy fellow. So who the hell are you?"

"Vlad," he replied. "Vlad Impali, or your new assistant."

"I'm getting an assistant? Now why would I take you on?"

"Well, according to the big three, you don't have a choice. I think that you'll find my semblance quite useful." Xander just turned back around, and gestured for Vlad to follow him.

"Alright Vlad, time to see exactly how good you are."

_Monica_

She drove her car into the garage, and stepped outside. She looked around, and saw her dad tinkering with a car.

"Hey Dad," she said. He looked up at her, and smiled. "I got the parts you wanted." She briefly lifted up a small container of car parts with electricity, and gently set it down near her father.

"Have you gotten that much control?" Her father asked.

"I guess I have," Monica replied, shrugging.

"Well, do you mind giving your old man a hand?" Monica walked over to the car, and popped open the hood. She ran an electrical current through it, and sensed where it stopped prematurely. She quickly grabbed a wrench, and started to fix it. "So Moni," her father said. "Will we be seeing Derek at any point in time."

"I don't think so," she yelled out. "He doesn't know where I live." Unless he has her scroll signal traced, which she didn't put past him. "So I doubt it."

"Well that's a shame. I would of have liked for some of his help with this. Plus, I would of have liked to know more about him."

"It took me four years to learn more about him then what he chose to tell me." She tightened up the piece, and stepped back. She ran another electrical current through it, and then went about fixing another part.

"Why not invite him over?" Her father tried again.

"He's already declined, and I don't want to push the issue." Her father shrugged, and went about working on the car. But now Monica was thinking about it. Should she ask Derek? It was a risk, but she felt as though it might be worth it.

_Beacon Academy: Team RWBY's Dorm_

Ruby and Weiss were sitting in Weiss' bed, close in each other's embrace. After Ruby had kissed her, she had spilled the rest of the details. They had walked into their dorm, and just sat on Weiss' bed, with the occasional kiss. They heard the door open up, and soon they learned just who it was.

"Helloooooo," Yang called out, Blake closely trailing her. "How did your date go." Weiss suddenly broke away from Ruby, and walked over to Yang.

"You!" Weiss said angrily. "I have a bone to pick with you!" Yang held up her hands, but part of her knew that the jig was up. "Why did you and Blake trail us? And why did you ask Derek?"

"Well," Yang said, backing away slowly. "You see, I was really worried about Ruby's plan. And don't blame Derek, we dragged him into this." The door opened up suddenly, and Derek poked his head in.

"They used my promise to Summer Rose," Derek said. "That's how they got me to agree, and by they I mean Yang. That is all." He closed the door, and Weiss looked at the door, completely baffled.

"How did he get in?" Weiss asked. The door opened up again, and Derek poked his head in one more time.

"I had the Rat add the lock to your door to my scroll," he explained. The door closed again, and team RWBY just looked oddly at the door.

"Anyway," Yang said. "Did it work?"

"Well," Ruby said.

"No," Weiss said. "She doesn't get to know." Their door opened up again, and Derek looked in again.

"It worked," he said simply.

"GET OUT!" Weiss yelled out. He closed the door, and she looked at the door angrily. "We need new locks."

"I'll just get those codes too!" Derek yelled out from the halls.

"I hate him," Weiss muttered angrily. Yang walked over to Ruby, and wrapped her in a big hug.

"I'm so happy for you," Yang said, squeezing her sister close.

"Ack," Ruby said. "Please-let-go." Yang let go of her sister, and just beamed at her. Yang then swung around her gaze to Weiss, and she extended her arms.

"Oh no you don't," Weiss said, backing up against the door.

"But you're like family now," Yang said. Weiss reached for the door handle, but Yang ran over and wrapped her in a big hug. "Aw, don't struggle."

"You'll-kill-me-you-dolt," Weiss gasped.

"The more you fight it the harder I'll hug." Weiss gave in, and stopped fighting against her. Yang set her down soon after, and Weiss immediately ran behind Ruby.

"Keep your sister off of me." Ruby just took one leap to get onto her bed, and looked down at Weiss. "Ruby! I'm your girlfriend!"

"But she's my sister," Ruby said. "And you're on your own."

"You insufferable little re-ACK!" Yang wrapped Weiss in another hug, and Weiss was quickly losing air. "Blake," she wheezed. "Get-your-girlfriend-off-of-me!"

"Yaaang," Blake purred. "Let go of her." Yang reluctantly set Weiss down, and looked at her partner. "Now sit." Yang walked over to her bed, and jumped up on it. "Good girl."

"Don't treat me like a dog, little kitty," Yang called down. "Or I might have to stomp away your nine lives."

"Try me," Blake said, rolling onto her stomach. Yang was tempted to jump down on her partner, but her sister was watching. Blake knew that, and she gave a confident smirk. "Night guys," Blake said. She blew out her candles, and everyone else turned out the lights.

"Night," Yang said.

"G'night," Ruby called out.

"Goodnight," Weiss said.

"GOODNIGHT!" Derek yelled out from the next dorm.

"DEREK!" Weiss yelled. "THAT'S CREEPY!"

"THEN I'VE DONE WELL!" Everyone burst out laughing, and then fell asleep.

_Hidden Complex_

Xander walked into the training room, and inspected the cages. Nothing would prepare Vlad like actual fighting experience, and this would give him a good look at just what he could do. Of course, he had already been informed that Vlad would have to be kept alive, which severely disappointed him.

"Alright Vlad," Xander said. "In these cages," he pointed around at the cages lying around. "Contain a grand total of 10 Beowolves. You're task is quite simple, eliminate them. You get bonus points if you kill one of them with your semblance."

"That won't be an issue," Vlad said with a smile.

"Good." Xander stepped off of the floor, and he saw the barriers raise up in front of him. "Open the cages." The cages opened up, and the Beowolves bound out. They all wore chain leashes, keeping them away from Vlad. Vlad quickly pulled out a halberd from underneath his robe, and propped it up. "Cut the leashes." The Beowolves all lost their chains, and they leapt forward.

Vlad saw the first Beowolf coming at him, and he just thrust the spear point of his halberd into it's stomach. He pulled out the spear point, and he spun away from the next Beowolf. He quickly brought the end of his pike into it's back, and he jumped out of the way of the next attack. He saw a fourth one coming at him, and he swung around the blade of his axe into it's head. He quickly pulled it out, and popped open the back end of his halberd. He pressed the trigger, and fired off a shot into the Beowolf that was right behind him. He was four down, and now he realized that it was almost time to unveil the second half of his weapon. Before he could, another Beowolf came running up in front of him. He popped the spear point of his halberd, and fired off a shot to take out it's head. Vlad flipped a switch on his halberd, and he pulled out a Kilij, a short saber, from the middle of it. He quickly put away the rest of his halberd, and swung around the blade to meet another Beowolf in the stomach. He ducked out of the way from another strike, and brought around the sword point into it's back. He brought the blade up to another's neck, and he watched the head roll. He saw another one running at him, and he realized that he wasn't going to get an opportunity to display the overall effectiveness of his semblance at another point in time. He raised up his hand, and a sharp rock rose up from the ground, and impaled the Beowolf through the stomach. He rolled out of the way of the last Beowolf's pounce, and he swung around his sword into it's arm. He succeeded in cutting it off, and he swung around his swung around his blade to cut off one of it's legs. He watched the Beowolf fall to the ground, and he saw his opportunity for his signature.

Xander watched the display in fascination. The last Beowolf fell, and one of the guards took a step forward. Xander put his hand on his stomach, and looked at him.

"Wait," he said. "That last one isn't dead. I'm intrigued to see what he does." Vlad raised up his hand, and a spike rose from the ground, and impaled the Beowolf, and then he lifted the spike off of the ground, examining his trophy. The walls lowered, and Xander let himself smile.

"Well, well, well," Xander said, causally walking over to Vlad. "No one told me I would be working with a crazy person."

"Will that be an issue?" Vlad asked.

"Absolutely not! You and I are going to have a lot of fun together."

**End: What did you expect? I've created a Vlad the Impaler inspired character, and he's a crazy killer. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	60. Chapter 60

Child of Grimm Ch. 60

**Up to 60 chapters. Sorry about the delay, I had a busy day today.**

Xander entered into the conference room, and took a seat. He looked over to see the twins, Junior, Adam, Torchwick, Bush, and Cinder standing around the table. Vlad quickly entered the room as well, and took his seat next to Xander.

"Who is that?" Torchwick asked.

"This is Vlad Impali," Xander said, spinning around in his chair. "My new assistant."

"Assistant?" Torchwick asked Cinder. "Why does he need an assistant."

"He's a fighting assistant," Cinder said. "Him and Bush were not going to get along, while him and Vlad are an excellent pair."

"He's just as crazy as me," Xander said with a smile. "So what you got for us boss?"

"We haven't quite gotten to where we want too. I don't want the dragon under our control anymore." Adam looked up at her, his mask glowing.

"What?" He asked, his voice low. "Why not?"

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Torchwick asked. "We can't keep him under control. Your idea has practically ensured that we won't be getting him."

"What gives you the-?"

"ADAM!" Cinder said, flames dancing around her body. "I suggest you give up your dream of getting Drake back, because the only thing you might receive, is his corpse. Are we clear?" Adam reluctantly sat down, and Cinder dusted off her dress. "Now, onto our other business. We have word of a dust movement going on. Torchwick, you'll lead this with Adam under your _full _control. Understand?" She directed the last question more to Adam then Torchwick. Both men nodded, and Cinder smiled. "Good. Next, the twins, Bush, and Junior will conduct another dust raid at the same time." All four of them nodded, and Xander looked over at Vlad.

"And what is our job?" Xander asked, tossing up Hive into the air.

"That's not for me to say with the others. It's a more... Private contract." Xander smiled, and looked at the others.

"Well?" He asked. "I believe you all have jobs." The others reluctantly left the room, and Xander leaned back in his chair. Vlad awaited the news patiently, but Cinder took a moment.

"The others are gone," she called back. The door from behind her opened, and two people entered the room.

"Good," the man said. "That means that we can explain our plan."

"Here's what we want," the woman said. "Beacon Academy has become quite involved with our plans, more specifically a few teams. We want you and Vlad to go about finding people strong enough to take them on, and hire them."

"Really?" Xander asked. "That's it?"

"Not quite," the man said. "After you hire them, we have a spot that we want you to target. Or before, either one works for us. So long as you can take them."

"Have any candidates?" Vlad asked.

"A few," the woman added. "Their files on your scrolls." Xander and Vlad both opened them up, and begun their reading. A smile opened up on both of their faces as they read along, and they soon put it away.

"Let's get started," Xander said.

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

Derek sat down with his friends, and briefly greeted them. LOOS was back with them, and RWBY and JP were still present. There was no sign of ASSN still, and that made Derek curious.

"Any word from ASSN?" He asked.

"They're still in the hospital," Pyrrha said. "I've visited them a few times, but they were hurt pretty badly."

"And they don't have your super-human healing," Jaune added, pointing his fork at him.

"It's not super-human healing," Derek said again. "It's my scales. It limits the initial damage done to me, thus lowering the amount of aura that I need to heal."

"But there's your spikes." Now Derek had to think. His spikes did come back no matter what he did. Was his healing really that good?

"I guess they come back because of my Grimm nature," he explained. "Though, I've never given it much thought. I've never had another opportunity to test the theory." Derek continued to eat, and looked over at RWBY. They were all wrapped up in their own conversations, but they all sounded very similar. "Anything interesting happen to the rest of your team?" Derek asked Jaune and Pyrrha.

"Not really," Jaune said. "Despite how Nora is, she seems to be very quiet around her home."

"Quiet?" Stephen asked, tilting his head.

"Well, Nora's version of quiet. Which is still pretty problematic."

"That sounds about right." Stephen quickly devoured another pancake, and his entire team had finished. Derek was a quick eater, but LOOS all seemed to develop an ability to eat that no one could rival. All of them stood, and quickly said their goodbyes.

"So Derek," Ruby began. "How is your team?"

"They're all doing well from what I can gather," he said. "Nathan and Gwen seemed to of have adjusted back to normal life, which coming back will be a rude awakening. Monica is getting along quite well, and she seems to of have gotten comfortable in her home again. They all seemed quite excited this morning. Though, I don't know why." RWBY and JP looked at each other.

"Do you not know?" Yang asked, completely baffled. Derek let out a heavy sigh.

"If I knew, would I say that I didn't know why they were excited?"

"Fair point. Today is Christmas Eve."

"There's two days of this? Seriously? Why is there two days of a holiday? Nothing makes any sense."

"Derek," Ruby said. "Don't question it."

"I might as well stop."

"Did you really never know at Signal?" Weiss asked. "I thought you shared a dorm with someone."

"I did," Derek replied, his voice level rising slightly. "But we had an agreement. He didn't bother me with stuff like that, and I'd tolerate living with him. Most people weren't that keen to know me, not like when I first arrived here."

"I guess we would seem kind of obnoxious from your point of view," Pyrrha said.

"Oh, so much more then a little." Everyone laughed, but Derek still realized something.

"So today and tomorrow is Christmas?" He asked. Everyone nodded. "Well, I have to get going. It seems as though I have some shopping to do."

"Shopping?" Yang asked, her interest suddenly peaked. "Can I help?" Derek raised up his hand, but then reconsidered.

"Actually, having a girl along might be beneficial. I believe that you could be of some assistance." Yang's eyes lit up, and she quickly rose with him.

"Mind if I participate?" Blake asked.

"Go for it kitty cat. But please note, that I will not be flying all of you. Flying three people is very difficult to do, and I'd prefer to avoid it unless there's an emergency."

"We'll take Bumblebee," Yang said. "And follow along." Derek nodded, and looked at the window.

"I'll meet you outside." He ran over, and popped it open. He quickly jumped out, and flew down to the garage.

"He just can't exit in a normal fashion," Weiss said.

_The Hawk's Perch_

Xander and Vlad walked outside of the new location. They already had convinced two others to join, and now they were down to one more on the list. Yi Liu-Wong was a marshal arts expert that chose a chain as his primary weapon. His youth was only matched by his strength and incredible fighting technique. He used a dust whip chain to fight with. He wore an orange robe, with a black sash, his head was bald and his eyes were yellow. Ely Swift was a powerful fighter, who wielded a shotgun mace. She was dressed in plate armor, and she had black hair and green eyes. Now, it was time for the hawk.

"Remind me again who this guy is?" Ely asked.

"Relax Ms. Muscles," Xander said. "It shouldn't matter to you, just like it doesn't matter to me. We're here strictly on a business basis, and you'll still get paid the agreed amount." The other two nodded, and Vlad opened up the door.

They walked into the area, and noticed the fact that it was overgrown. Xander pulled out Hive and Nest, while Vlad raised up his halberd.

"Yi," Xander called out. "A little light would be appreciated." Yi pulled out his whip chain, and it lit up in flames. The hallways immediately grew brighter, and the group trudged forward. Every step was another wet sound, the ground around them being made completely of soil. "This guy sure does know how to decorate," Xander grumbled. Soon, he had enough . "Hey, Tweety Bird. I want you to come out of hiding." Xander heard a tree branch move, and he looked up. He saw a man in a cloak, perched up on a branch above them. He wore a cloak, completely concealing every part of him.

"You show courage," he said. "Not many people challenge the Hawk."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Hey, we're here to hire you. Your scare tactics won't work on us."

"Hire me?" He asked, clearly interested. He lifted out his arms, revealing a long pair of brown wings. He swiftly flew down to them, and looked up. He had brown eyes, and his neckline was partially covered in feathers. He pushed back his hood, revealing that his entire hair was replaced by feathers. He lifted up his arms, revealing two pistol swords that were stylized in to look like feathers.

"That's right Tweety Bird, my employers are interested in your services."

"The pay?" Xander held open a small case that he had brought to all three meetings. The Hawk looked down at the amount, and smiled.

"That's on a weekly basis. The most generous of employers that I've ever had. So what's up Tweety? You in or out?"

"In of course. When do we begin?" Xander smiled, and checked his scroll.

"Right now."

_Streets of Vale: Shopping Center_

"Oh how I hate this place," Derek grumbled. Derek had been walking with the two girls for several minutes, and he had yet to find anything. "The last time I had to come anywhere near here, I knew exactly where to go. Well, Monica knew where to go."

"It could be worse," Blake said. "Right Yang?" Blake turned, and noticed that her partner was missing. "Yang?" Derek let out a heavy sigh, and took a deep breath. He looked around, and saw Yang hanging around a jewelry dealer. He gestured for Blake to follow, and he quickly walked over to her.

"Thanks again," Yang said, taking the bag he had handed to her.

"Yang!" Derek said sternly. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking up some stuff," she said calmly.

"Next time, stick close. "

"They might have something here," Blake offered. Derek realized she was right, and went to browse.

"Sorry," the dealer said. "We don't serve his kind."

"My kind?" Derek asked. "What kind would that be?"

"Faunus."

"Then we have no issues. I am not a faunus." Derek placed his hand on Blake's arm to get her to calm down.

"Yeah right. You just happened to have scales covering your body as a non-faunus?"

"Well, I was a faunus. Now, I'm a Child of Grimm." The dealer quickly backed up, but his expression only hardened.

"Get the hell away from here." Derek puffed out some flames, and started to back up.

"No," Blake said.

"Blake," Derek said. "I'd prefer to not cause an incident."

"No," she repeated. "This is against basic rights."

"Listen lady," he said. "Get out of here."

"Blake," Derek said. "Just back away from this." Blake angrily stepped away from the dealer, and he gave a smug look.

"That's right, listen to your boyfriend." Without warning, Yang stepped forward and hit him square in the face. The dealer fell back, and reached up to his nose. Yang shook off her hand, and looked at her friends.

"Now we leave," she said. Derek smiled, and they turned away from the dealer. They quickly found another one, who seemed much more willing to deal for them. "Can't believe I bought something from that creep," Yang muttered.

"You couldn't of have known," Derek said. "Only myself or Blake would of have ever learned. Actually, only I would of have learned." Derek's eyes were brought up to Blake's bow, and then he looked back down at the jewelry. He tilted his head in slight curiosity at one of the necklace piece's, and he looked up at the dealer. "What exactly is the crystal on this?" The dealer immediately pulled out the piece, and he smiled.

"Ah," the dealer said. "This is a fairly interesting piece. The crystal is inter changeable, but it gives the user an enhanced sense of awareness. Very useful most of the time. And the best part is, it's fed through aura, not dust." Derek thought about it, and noticed a tornado necklace.

"Will it work with that?" He asked. The dealer smiled, and pulled it out. He quickly swapped out the crystal into that piece, and put it in a box.

"Anything else?" Derek noticed a lightning bolt piece, with another crystal in the middle of it. He pointed to that, the quizzical look already evident in his eyes.

"This crystal, allows the wearer to have an amplified aura field." Derek nodded, and the dealer pulled it out.

"Do you have anything that's not meant for a necklace?"

"A few pieces." The dealer pulled out a few bracelets, and laid them out. Derek noticed one with wolf heads, and he pointed to it. "The crystal on this piece is one that gives off a frozen wind of some sorts. The wind freezes what it touches, so long as the user is strong enough with their aura." Derek nodded, and the dealer placed the item in a box. He quickly explained the charge, and Derek paid up. He was lucky that he purchased so little, otherwise he wouldn't of have been able to afford it.

"Thank you," Derek said.

"No, thank you. Not often I get a man as interesting as you. Tell me, you said that you were a Child of Grimm. Is your name Derek Flame?" Derek backed away, and rested his hand on his sword. "No, no, no. I've heard of you. Your name appeared on the news not too long ago. I just wanted to know." Derek's hand fell from the sword.

"Yes, that's me."

"Well, it was nice to meet you Mr. Flame." Derek nodded, and walked away from him.

"That was interesting," Derek said.

"Guess that the big bad dragon is a celebrity," Yang said. "How do you feel now hotshot?"

"About the same as before, only a little more cautious about my public identity."

"Oh come on, it's gotta be nice to be a celebrity."

"It isn't. This is nothing that I wished upon myself, and it is nothing that I wish to be brought up again. It'll go away in a few days, just wait."

"If you say so." They reached Bumblebee, and Derek spread his wings. He took off into the air, and the partners trailed behind him.

_Hunter Base_

Xander stepped outside of it, and looked down. He knew that his employers had wanted this place dealt with, and he felt confident that this group could do it. He had heard of Yi, Ely, and the Hawk beforehand, and he already had seen what Vlad could do.

"Alright," Xander said. "Let's get this thing started. Yi, you're up first." Yi pulled out his whip chain, and quickly lit it.

"Time for the Dragon's Tongue," he said.

"Seriously? Dragon's Tongue? Just do your job, and save some of the flash." Yi stepped forward, and shook his head.

"But that's not possible." He flipped forward, and landed just outside the base. Two hunters turned to face him, and he started to spin around his chain. It bounced off of his neck, arm, back, and then he flipped up into the air. The two hunters were temporarily mesmerized by the movement, but they quickly regained their senses. Yi swung his Tongue down, and caught one of them right across the wrists. He called out in pain, and Yi tripped him up. Yi threw forward the point of his Tongue into the second hunters stomach, and then he started to flip it around some more. The other hunter stood up, and saw his dead partner. He quickly swung his sword at Yi's head, but Yi easily ducked out of the way. He flipped around the chain to hit the hunter in the head, and he fell to the ground. Yi snapped the chain to a stop, and he extinguished it.

"What a nice display," Xander said as he walked up to the front. "A good use of your semblance for some style. Ely, you're up." Ely looked at the door, and she confidentially raised her mace. She quickly swung it into the door, and it gave out a loud bang. Xander looked at the door disapprovingly, and he shook his hand at the Hawk.

"Keep the guards off her," he said. "We need to get in." Hawk extended his wings, and he flew up into the air. He flew around to the wall, and landed. The first guard swung his axe up high, and Hawk easily danced under it. He thrust his sword up into his stomach, and tossed his body off the wall. He turned around, and shot at another. His aura deflected the bullet, and Hawk fired off several more shots. The fourth one broke through, and penetrated the man's stomach. Hawk walked forward, and brought his sword into the man's chest. He turned around, and threw his sword into another's chest. He quickly ran forward, and slashed around his other sword into the chest of another hunter. He pulled out his other sword, and looked around. He heard the door break down, and he jumped up into the air.

Xander watched the door break down, and he smiled to himself.

"Excellent work Ms. Muscles," he said. "Now, why don't you display your fighting?" Ely walked into the base, and hefted up her mace. One of the hunters rushed her, but she fired off a shot from her shotgun to get herself air born. She swung her mace down, and effectively crushed the man. She fired off another shot, and swung around her elbow into another man's chin. He backed up, and she swung around her mace into his chest, crushing all of his ribs. He fell over, and she looked around, slightly disappointed that there weren't any others nearby.

"Clear," she said.

"Clear," Yi called from outside.

"Clear," Hawk yelled out. Xander looked carefully at the small outposts, and he smiled approvingly.

"Wood," he exclaimed. "Such a great item for temporary housing, but such a terrible idea at the same time." He raised up the Nest, and fired off a barrage of flames. The first hut caught fire, and then another did. To the huts that were made of stone, Xander just blew them up with the Hive. The other mercenaries watched on, not entirely sure as to what to do. Vlad just watched the display in fascination. After the last hut was destroyed, Xander faced Vlad.

"Prep the bodies for discovery," he said. "I believe you know what I mean." Vlad quickly raised up his arms, and stone spikes started to rise from the ground.

"You can't be serious?" Yi asked.

"Dead serious, Flash. This will be the mark that we were here, and a reminder to ignore our employers. This was apart of the details to the plan."

"He's right," Hawk added. "The plan did explain this piece, and I don't see any issues with this."

"I like you," Xander said, placing his arm around Hawk. "You on the other hand," Xander pointed a finger at Yi. "You might cause some anger issues. Not quite sure about you," he pointed over at Ely.

"So long as I get payed," Ely said. "I could care less."

"Nope, I like you." Vlad lowered his arms, and smiled in approval.

"Done," he called out. The other four looked at the bodies, and one detail stood out. All of them were propped up by stone spikes, and that was the message that they had wanted to leave.

"Let's go," Xander said. "Cinder will be pleased with this positive report."

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	61. Chapter 61

Child of Grimm Ch. 61

**I had a weird thing where my mail from FF didn't come through, so I didn't realize that I had actual reviews for chapter 59. No surprise, the Derek-has-the-keys skit did quite well. Also, the very first thing that I said when I made this story, was that there would be no Christmas chapter. Absolutely no holiday themed chapters, that was dedicated entirely to a holiday. Well this A/N might be foreshadowing as to what this chapter is about.**

Derek walked into his dorm, and placed the bag on his bed. He let out a deep sigh, and hoped onto his bed, landing next to the bag. He rolled over slightly, and just awaited on anyone to knock on the door. He realized that he actually had something to ask, and he stood up. He walked outside, and made his way to RWBY's dorm. He knocked on the door, and waited. Ruby opened up the door, and she eyed him cautiously.

"Why didn't you just open it?" Ruby asked.

"Because I'm not completely rude," Derek said. "Now, do you mind me asking as to what exactly you four are doing tonight?"

"We're all going down to the library. It's nice and decorated for us to celebrate there. Plus, everywhere else will be packed." _That's what I was looking for. _

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Sure. JNPR will be joining us too."

"JNPR? As in, all of them?"

"Yup. Ren and Nora came back in the morning. They'll be here until tonight, and then they'll be leaving again." Derek was slightly surprised by this notion.

"Well, I guess that I'll see all of you tonight."

"See you tonight." Derek reentered his dorm, and sat down on his bed. He thought about it. Nora and Ren lived a good distance away from them, given that they were the last to report in. So did that mean, that if it was possible... No, it was best not to get his hopes up. His hopes didn't go up, because that was the path that lead to doom for him. It was best to have hope, but never expect too much from it. If Nora and Ren had only just arrived, then that meant the odds that Nathan, Gwen, and Monica would show up were pretty slim. He stood up, and realized that there was one team that he hadn't visited in a while. He stood up, and made his way to LOOS' dorm.

Derek knocked on the door, and Olivia opened it up.

"And so the dragon makes a reappearance," Olivia said. "How's it going Drake?"

"Quite well Orni," he replied. "On your end?"

"Excellent. No shopping for us."

"Yes, that is a down side to having a team of humans is that I do have to shop. So long as they do not purchase anything for me, I think that I'll be fine."

"LET HIM IN!" Lou called out from the background. Olivia laughed, and let him into the dorm. Derek looked around, and saw Lou and Stephen playing a game of cards. Orion was laying on his stomach, his spikes raised into the air. Olivia walked over to card game, and looked over them.

"Card games?" Derek asked.

"Yup," Stephen replied, throwing down another card. "This is what me and Lupa did back in the program, and Orni took winner."

"And Ouru?"

"I don't play cards," he replied.

"More like he isn't that good at cards," Lou added in, tossing down another card.

"I'm plenty good at cards, I just don't enjoy playing them." Derek laughed, and watched over the game cautiously.

"We really don't do a whole lot," Stephen said, tossing down a card.

"I lay on a bed for most of the day," Derek added in. "You do more then me."

"Oh I'm sure that the others kept you busy," Lou added in. "We just keep each other busy all day." Derek nodded, and stood up.

"Well, I'm returning to my interesting dorm. Will you be going with us to the library later on today?"

"Maybe for moral support," Orion said. Derek nodded, and exited the room.

"Are we going?" Stephen asked Olivia.

"Why not?" She responded. "We might as well join our friends." The others nodded, and Lou set down her last card.

"I win!" She declared triumphantly.

"How are you so good at this?!" Stephen asked.

"Easy, wolf's are smarter then scorpions." Stephen mockingly shook his stinger, and traded places with Olivia.

_DRGN's Dorm_

Derek laid back on his bed, and pondered the idea of closing his eyes. He heard two people talking loudly outside of his dorm, and his ears perked with interest.

"We're almost there," a female voice said.

"Why are we going for a surprise?" A male voice asked. "If we're talking, it'll give it away."

"Then open the door!" _Wait a minute. I know those voices. _The door to his dorm opened up, and Gwen and Nathan entered into the dorm.

"Sup D," Nathan said. "Miss us?"

"Only in the slightest," Derek said, the grin on his face spoiling the tone of his voice.

"Yeah you love us," Gwen added in, a grin consuming her face. Derek gave them a slight nudge, and he looked over them.

"So how long?" Derek asked.

"We'll be here for the rest of the break," Gwen said. "My parents got called away on a case, and Nathan just couldn't stand the idea of being left alone with his family."

"Amen," Nathan said, tossing his axe up into the air. "They said they'd send us off some gifts, but I couldn't stand R&R's arguing and the Silver twins constant correcting." Derek smiled, and jumped back onto his bed. Gwen took out her posters, and started to hang them up around her bed. Nathan started to do the same, and Derek remembered about his bag under the bed. _They won't find it. I have full faith in that. _

"So what have you been up to?" Gwen asked.

"Noting much," Derek replied. "I've really just been spending time with RWBY, JNPR, LOOS, and ASSN."

"ASSN?" Nathan asked, grabbing his axe. "Who are they?"

"ASSN is a fairly interesting team, that you will not yet have the pleasure to meet. They're in the medical bay. Some old friends of ours decided to meet them, and it didn't end well for ASSN." Gwen and Nathan nodded, and just went to re-decorating their areas.

"Anything big planned?" Gwen asked, placing her poster of the human mind.

"A small gathering in the library with LOOS, RWBY, and JNPR."

"No word from Moni?" Nathan asked. Derek shook his head. "Ah I'm sure she'll show up, no matter how long it'll be for." Derek nodded again, and started to make images with flames. "Uh, when have you been able to do that?"

"For quite some time," Derek replied calmly. "It's what my semblance was replaced with." He quickly fashioned the letters D-R-G-N in the air, and he smiled to himself. "I needed a way keep time, and this happened to pass."

"I thought you didn't have a semblance?" Gwen asked. Derek sighed heavily. _Maybe I shouldn't of have phrased it that way._

"I don't have my own semblance," he corrected. "This is the Drake package semblance." He fashioned out the image of him and his team, and froze it for a moment.

"Jeez D," Nathan said. "You've gotten good at this."

"Which is fitting, since I can't draw. The flames just fashion to match the images in my mind." He got rid of that image, and crafted out Beacon. Gwen and Nathan just watched in awe, unsure of exactly what to say. "This is the view that I get from my flights." He dispersed that image, and sat back, clearly satisfied with himself. He sat back in his bed, and he heard a knock on the door. Gwen walked over, and opened it up.

"Hey Blake," she said.

"Hey Gwen," Blake replied. "When did you get back?"

"A little bit ago. I brought a puppy with, do you want to adopt?" Nathan stood up, and gave his best puppy eyes.

"Seems a little high maintenance. I think I'll pass."

"Back to the box for me," Nathan said.

"Anyway, I came to see what Derek was doing. I wasn't in the dorm when you came by."

"Doing quite well kitty cat," Derek added in. "I'm relatively happy to see my team again."

"He loves us," Nathan whispered loudly. Derek puffed up some flames, and made a heart with him and Nathan's name in it. Nathan let out a wolfish grin, and sat back on his bed. Blake looked around at them, and smiled.

"Glad I don't have to try and keep you company anymore," she said. She turned to exit, and Derek just watched her go. Him and Blake had come pretty far in their relationship. From the time she had learned his secret, to when she finally revealed her own. Somethings just play out in an interesting way. He sat back in his bed, and started to clean off his sword. He heard someone come up the halls, and he could tell that they were dragging along some luggage. _Someone else appears to be returning. _He heard them pause for a moment, and now his interest was peaked. The door opened up, and Monica dragged in her luggage.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "It took a while to get this up the stairs." Derek immediately ran over to her, and wrapped her up in a hug.

"Oh come on," Nathan said. "Why no hug for us?" Derek chose to ignore him, and pulled away from Monica.

"It's good to see you again Moni," Derek said.

"Likewise D," she replied. "I'm going to be here for a little bit. My parents have a big business proposal, so looks like I'm yours for the rest of the time." Derek smiled, and helped her move along her luggage. He felt a sense of fullness, a sense that he hadn't felt since they had left.

_Later on that Night: Library_

DRGN opened up the door to the library, and they saw the rest of their friends present. They quickly greeted everyone, and took their seats. The night had some cider, cookies {to which Ruby saw to immediately} and several Christmas decorations. Derek broke off from the rest of his team, and migrated over by LOOS. The four of them were just sitting there, a cup of cider in their hands.

"Hello my Grimm friends," Derek greeted.

"Hello again D," Olivia greeted. "Where's your team?"

"Monica got pulled away by the sisters, while Nathan and Gwen seem to be hanging near JNPR. I decided to see how you were doing."

"You came over here because no one else was here," Stephen said, flicking around his tail. "Admit it." Derek held up his hands innocently.

"Sometimes they are a handful," he admitted. "But I truly did come over here to see how you were doing."

"So long as we stay out of the way," Orion said. "We'll be perfectly fine."

"Why not join the rest of us?"

"Not our style," Lou contributed. Derek just nodded. It was something he understand perfectly well. He looked over at the others, and considered joining them.

"Hey Derek," Monica called out. "Come over here." _Sounds like an excuse._

"Well," he said, standing up. "It appears that Monica is calling."

"See you later D," Stephen said, pulling out a deck of cards. He laid them out on the table, and Lou sat across from him.

Derek walked over to Monica and RWBY, and he quickly sat down.

"So what's up?" He asked.

"You left your girlfriend alone," Monica said accusingly. "That's what's up." Derek considered the notion for a moment, and he wondered how he could salvage it. "Just show me the flames thing." Derek tilted his head, curious as to how she had learned of this. "I overhead Nathan and Gwen talking about it. I'm just curious." Derek looked behind him, and noticed the librarian looking elsewhere. He quickly lit a small ball of flames, and spread it out. He fashioned the image, and allowed Monica to observe it. It was just a simple lightning bolt, but Monica looked very impressed. "Why did I never learn of this?"

"I never saw a reason to tell you," Derek replied, dispersing the image. "It was merely a way to keep track of time for me. Otherwise, I would of have lost it."

"Can you make any image?" Ruby asked, clearly intrigued by the events. Derek nodded.

"So long as I've ever seen the image before, yes."

"What about a puppy?" Derek sighed, and fashioned out the image of puppy. "That's too cool."

"Actually, it really is quite hot." RWBY let out a laugh, while Monica just smiled.

"So Yang," Monica said. "Anything interesting happen on the gossip end of things while I was gone?"

"Maybe," Yang said, kicking her feet slightly. Monica poked at Yang, and she recoiled slightly. "Watch it!"

"Tell me!"

"Later on tonight, you'll find out." Derek now was interested. _Later on tonight? Does that mean what I think it does? Interesting... _Monica noticed Derek's expressions, and she realized that he wasn't implying confusion through them.

"Derek!" She ordered. "Tell me!"

"It's not my place to speculate," he said quickly, looking at the angry glares from everyone. "What I mean is, if what I believe they are referring to is correct, then I will allow them to break the news. Out of common courtesy."

"Since when do you believe in common courtesy?" Weiss asked.

"Weiss," Derek said, his voice lowering. "I don't believe that this is-."

"You have the keys to our dorm." Monica shot him a look.

"You what?" She asked.

"Well," Derek said. _If I could sweat, I would be drenched right now. _"I do have their locks on my scroll. It was a small favor from..." He paused, remembering that some of them didn't know the Rat. "An informant." Monica shrugged, but she was still curious.

"When have you used it?"

"Only once. It was _extremely _circumstantial."

"Circumstantial huh?" Yang asked. "I'd disagree with that statement."

The night carried on, and it was filled with good friend times. Ren decided to join in on the card games, and he defeated every member from LOOS. His reign continued on against the rest of his team, DRGN and RWBY. Though, Derek wasn't too surprised that Ren was good at card games. He was only surprised that he had defeated Gwen in a bluffing game.

"I bring shame to my family," she had said jokingly. The card game station actually became quite popular, and it was a good way to pass the time. Finally, the time came for those with gifts to give them out. All of team JNPR didn't have anything to gift each other, that process already being taken care of. LOOS of course had nothing for each other, so they just carried on with their card games. Derek handed out his gifts, and briefly explained all of their properties. Every member of his team said that they felt bad for not giving him anything, but Derek waved off everything.

"The knowledge that I would of have received something that I wouldn't of have ever found a purpose for, is nothing that I was very excited about," Derek explained. "At the same time, I found several practical items for all of you." Everyone seemed to accept that, and then it was on to Ruby. Before they began, Blake took a seat near Derek.

"Time for the big reveal," she whispered into his ear. Derek smiled, and he realized that his prediction was correct. He looked over at Gwen, and gave a slight nod in her direction. She smiled, and tried to play it off with her necklace. "Alright Yang, swapping time." Blake and Yang both tossed up two boxes, and they switched. At the same time, Weiss and Ruby switched around some boxes with each other. They opened them up, and each one of them was the symbol of their partner. Inside of them, was a picture of them with their partner. It took everyone a second to realize what exactly these meant.

"Wait a minute," Nathan said. "Are you all in a relationship?"

"What gave you that idea?" Yang asked, the sarcasm completely evident in her voice.

"Well, you and Blake seem to be really good friends to be locking lips like that for a picture. Just saying." Nathan raised up his hands, and a small ice wind came out of his hand. "Sorry, not used to this bracelet."

"Take it off," Weiss said. "Take it off now." Nathan reluctantly took it off, and he put it back in the box.

"So you and Ruby are dating?" Pyrrha asked. Weiss nodded, and joined her girlfriend.

"Cough it up you two," Gwen said. "20 lien a piece I believe." Pyrrha and Jaune reluctantly pulled out 20 lien, and tossed it over.

"You had bets?" Weiss asked.

"Yup."

"That we would be dating?"

"Well, only with you and Ruby. We've been waiting to collect for a while." Everyone laughed, and Olivia reshuffled the deck.

"For what it's worth," she said. "We already knew. Derek isn't the only one with super-hearing."

"And I also knew," Derek contributed. "Gwen figured it out, but we did the polite thing."

"Wait!" Monica said angrily. "You didn't tell me?!" Derek realized the hole he had just dug himself.

"Oh, I can really explain."

"You'd better be able to."

**End: And the Christmas chapter, is complete. The next chapter might include a familiar face{s} from my other stories. I want to get it out as soon as possible, so here's hoping. Also, in going through my work I realized that Doli Tuf was a joke that only I probably got. I based him off of the Do you even lift, guy. His name is a play off of those words. Do u lift. Do+Li, and then T+u+f. That joke went over everyone's heads besides mine, I'm positive of that. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	62. Chapter 62

Child of Grimm Ch. 62

**Prepare for a few new faces, and for some they might be familiar. Plus, there might be a reappearance.**

Xander walked down the hall, Vlad by his side and the other mercenaries trailing behind both of them. He finally reached the conference room, and he swung the door open.

"I'm back!" He exclaimed loudly. The twins, Junior, Bush, Adam, Torchwick, and Cinder all looked over at him. "And look at the bunch that I found."

"Cinder," Torchwick said. "Who are these people?"

"Very dangerous mercenaries," Cinder said, a smile on her face. "What do you think?"

"Well," Xander said. "Mr. Spike is quite effective on the mental aspect of fights, Flash is effective in his own rights, Ms. Muscles is brutal, and Tweety Bird is fast. Gotta say, you picked quite well boss."

"Good. They'll be working with you from now on. We need our strongest fighters to be available in one group. To take on the dragon and company."

"Dragon?" Yi asked. "What dragon? Is there a Taituo that we need to deal with?"

"Nah," Xander said. "Just a Taituo-hybrid, and his team, and their friends. Otherwise, no real issues."

"Isn't this something that we should of have been informed of?" Ely asked.

"Doesn't change your pay, and we already agreed to this. Tweety Bird, you with me?"

"I must admit," Hawk added in, flipping around his swords. "He is correct. Our pay more then covers a few hunter teams. We've dealt with many already, with very few issues."

"So then the mission was a success?" Cinder asked.

"More then," Xander said. "Check the news." Cinder popped it open, and watched the stream.

"Overkill," she stated. "I like it. Xander, prepare to start to work with the group." Xander let out a wicked grin, and turned to the others.

"Alright gentlemen, and lady, time to get started."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek woke up, and stretched out. He saw that the rest of his team was already up, and he was temporarily puzzled.

"How are all of you awake before me?" He asked.

"I want to say it's because we're that good," Nathan said. "But really, Moni set her alarm and woke us up."

"Nathan!" She said sharply.

"Sorry, but I can't lie to D on our first day back."

"Nathan," Derek said. "You've surpassed Gwen on my list of favorites."

"Aw man," Gwen said. "I worked hard for that spot. Where does Monica fall on that list?"

"I'd prefer not to comment on that," Derek said, folding up his arms. Monica electrified the room slightly, and Derek sighed. "You top the list."

"That's what I thought," she said. "Nice gift by the way." _Oh what have I done. _He smiled poorly, and then went to leave the dorm.

"It is breakfast time. Let's go." Derek exited the dorm, and the rest of his team trailed shortly.

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

Derek walked into the cafeteria, and sat down with RWBY and LOOS. The rest of his team trailed shortly, and he looked around at them.

"No Jaune and Pyrrha?" He asked.

"They're seeing Ren and Nora off," Lou said, picking up her pancake. "They should be here shortly." Derek nodded, and started to eat.

"Almost a full house," Yang said, kicking her boots onto the table. "So close, yet so far." Derek smiled, and he looked over by the doorway.

"Ah," he said. "It looks like they're coming now."

Jaune and Pyrrha were walking along to the cafeteria. They were coming pretty close, when Jaune bumped into someone.

"Watch it," she said.

"Sorry," he grumbled.

"First years," she grumbled back. He looked over at her, and she looked at him. Jaune felt his heart come to a dead stop, and he studied her to confirm something. She had long brown hair, and blue eyes. She wore jeans, and a hoodie. But one detail really stood out to Jaune, and that was one thing that made him worried.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "I'll leave you alone."

"Wait," she said. "Do I know you. How would I know a first year?"

"HEY SUNSHINE!" Someone yelled out. "Come on and join your team." Jaune grabbed Pyrrha, and pulled her off. The girl stared at Jaune, and something seemed to click in her mind.

"I'll be talking with you later," she whispered silently. She walked over to her team, and took a seat.

Jaune and Pyrrha sat down, and Jaune just started to eat quickly, his face completely pale.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked. "Seeing her was like seeing a ghost."

"Her?" Monica asked. "You saw someone you recognized? I would ask if it wasn't an old girlfriend, but I know you." Normally Jaune would of have tried to pitifully defend himself, but now he just kept eating.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. "Is there something we should know?"

"Nope," he said quickly. "Totally fine. No relation to her whatsoever."

"Then why are you acting this way?" Derek asked.

"No reason." Jaune kept eating, and just ignored them. Derek closed his eyes, and conjured up the image of the person. He opened up his eyes, and picked her out in the room. He quickly finished up his food, and stood briefly.

"Well," he said. "I'm going to head out now. If you need me, I'll be in my dorm." Everyone watched him leave, and just resumed their meal. Only Monica seemed slightly suspicious.

Derek swiftly walked over to the table, and he cleared his throat. The girl sighed deeply, and raised up her head.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I merely wish to know what you know of my friend," he said.

"Your friend?" She turned to face him, and coughed slightly. "You're that Child of Grimm that they've been talking about."

"Really?" Someone asked eagerly. "Can I see?"

"Calm down hot-shot," a deeper voice added in.

"Chill out beefy," a Scottish accent contributed.

"One at a time!" Derek said. "My friend?"

"At least let us get to know you laddy," the Scotty contributed. He stood up, and Derek took a moment to study him. He wore a black and green checkered kilt, and a baggy orange shirt with some chainmail visible behind it. He had black hair, some short stubble, and blue eyes. He had a wide grin going across his face, and he held out his hand. "It's great to meet you. My name is William."

"I don't see how this helps my question."

"It doesn't," the deep voice said. A boy stood up, and Derek found himself staring on in confusion. He saw a man, that only wore a bronze chestplate and a leather combat skirt, plus some leather shin bindings. He had a helmet resting on the table, which Derek assumed he wasn't wearing for convenience. He had dark hair, hazel eyes, and a small beard. He also had a scar going across his face, signifying that he had seen a few fights. But the number one thing, he was considerable more muscular then everyone else at Beacon. "My name is Leonidas, and he's been wanting to meet the Grimm hybrid for a long time. I run this team."

"Can I please just learn the answer?"

"You're close buddy," the other voice said. Another boy stood up, and Derek studied over him. He wore a sleeveless shirt, but it seemed pointless since he wore two long leather sleeves, one of which was decorated with all kinds of dust crystals, and he wore jeans that were torn at the knees. He had some scruff, strong emerald eyes, blonde hair, and a cocky smirk. "My name is Spartacus, and that over there is my partner."

"Wonderful," Derek said, clapping his hands together. He puffed out some flames, and glared angrily at the. "Now, who are you and what is your involvement with my friend?"

"My name," the girl finally said. "Is Joan Arc, and the lovable idiot that you call your friend, is my little brother."

_Hidden Complex_

"Xander, it appears there might be a few complications in our plans."

"What do you mean? You three promised action, and I expect it."

"Oh, the complications will result in so much action."

"Then we have no issues."

_Undisclosed Location_

The man sat at the table, his scroll resting in his hands. A contract would come soon, of that much he was sure. He checked the news feed, and went through it. He brushed aside his red hair, with the black streaks going down it, and looked over the feed.

"And here are the people that are responsible for taking down the criminal operation," the reporter said. That much intrigued him. An entire operation, taken down. He was very excited to see them, and his hopes ran high that they might need assistance. He gazed deeply with his black and crimson eyes, and took a moment. The image couldn't be what he thought it was. But, the truth was staring him in the face. He stood up, and picked up his weapon and black cloak. He threw both of them on, and looked outside. He needed to have a long chat with a friend of his.

**End: Dun, dun, duuuun. One person knows who mystery man X is, and I'm going to request that you do not spoil who he is. I like my dramatic reveals. Anyways, team JWLS made it into this story, with a few modifications. Also, someone has a rough draft for DRGN. Here are the drawings if anyone is interested {reminder, it is a rough draft} imgur. yI2RAdG Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	63. Chapter 63

Child of Grimm Ch. 63

**So the link didn't work. I'm going to try and leave a review for the link, so use that if it works. Still, I'm really excited.**

Xander and Vlad walked down the halls, and entered the conference room. They saw three people in front of them, and that worried Vlad slightly.

"Ah," he said. "Bosses. What is it that you wish to see us for." The man turned around, and looked at him.

"He's active," he said simply.

"He?" Xander asked. "Buddy, you're going to have to be more specific."

"You know what he means," the other woman added in. "It's the bounty hunter."

"Ohhhhhhhhh. Well, don't worry about that. I don't fear him."

"You should," Cinder said. "He's a very dangerous man."

"Fair enough, but do we have confirmed sightings of him and a target?" The three of them shook their heads. "Then there's nothing to worry about. Well, it was nice meeting with you, but I have to get back to my squad." Xander grabbed Vlad's shoulder, and pulled him away from the meeting. They exited the room, and quickly walked down the halls.

"Do you mind me asking who they're talking about?" Vlad asked.

"They said the bounty hunter," Xander said. "Weren't you here for the meeting?" Vlad shook his head. "Well, then I get it. The Red Reaper is active right now." Vlad stopped walking.

"The Red Reaper?" He asked worriedly.

"Yup. But don't worry, we just know he's left his hideout. Plus, even the Red Reaper can't take all five of us on. We'll deal with him if the time comes along."

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria: A little before_

Derek stood there, slightly stunned by what the girl had just told him. He looked over her wardrobe, and realized that she had the same partial white armor that Jaune did.

"Jaune has a sister?" He asked, slightly stunned.

"You have a brother?" Spartacus asked.

"Both of the answers are yes," Joan added in. "Me and my brother are two years apart in age, which makes him a first year. But, there's something very wrong with him being at this school." Derek took a moment to consider this.

"Well Joan," Derek said. "I already know the answer to what you're implying. And I think that we both know the correct answer." Joan nodded, and looked over him.

"You don't act like I thought you would."

"How was I supposed to act?"

"Dark, depressed, not caring, so on and so forth." _If only she realized how accurate that description is. _"Well, nice to meet you. But, I'm going to finish eating, and then have a little chat with my brother. That good with you?" Derek nodded, and turned to leave the cafeteria. After he was gone, Leonidas looked over at Joan.

"What exactly do you plan to do?" He asked her.

"Simple," she replied. "Demand the truth. What exactly is he doing here, and how is he still alive." Everyone nodded, and Spartacus slowly crept his monkey tail to her food. She slapped it away without looking. "Nice try there hot-shot."

"Worth a shot," Spartacus said, leaning back in his chair.

_Beacon Academy: Hallways_

Derek walked down the halls, and pondered what he knew. _A third year team that has relation to Jaune. His secret is no longer safe. _

"Hey," someone called out from behind him. Derek turned, and he saw nothing.

"Hello ASSN," he said. "Out already?" Alan quickly reappeared, Sal stepped out from the shadows, Nor assembled herself, and Sarah appeared in front of him.

"Very funny," Sal said, brushing himself off. "We were in there for what felt like forever."

"Roxanne was waiting on your aura, correct?" Everyone nodded. "Well, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who can fight you. Perhaps you can be a little more cautious next time."

"Only one?" Alan asked. "What the hell do you mean?"

"It really is quite simple. I have the tools along to defeat you, and it appears that some others have found the means necessary."

"Prove it," Alan said, quickly vanishing. Derek sighed, and started to heat up his body. Smoke began to pour out, and it started to form around an area. Derek quickly rushed forward, and picked Alan up.

"You may be invisible, but I can still see you through this." Alan reappeared, and Derek tossed him to the side. Sarah quickly walked over to him, and vanished. Derek awaited a hit to his head, and he felt it come quickly. Without thought, he turned around and grabbed at the ground, catching Sarah's leg. He tossed her to the ground, and brushed himself off. "You're predictable. From what I understand, the twins just went back to back." Sal walked into a shadow, and Derek just narrowed his gaze. Without breaking a sweat, he grabbed Sal, and pulled him out of the shadow. "Night vision, works on shadows." Nor quickly dispersed into snow, and Derek just let heat pour off of him. Nor had to form together soon, and he grabbed her as well. "Snow melts. All of you are very good, when you don't know what to expect. I suggest formulating a few ideas." Derek left them alone, and went into his dorm.

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

Jaune put away his tray, and Pyrrha trailed right behind him. They turned to leave for their dorm, but two of the students stood in front of them.

"Excuse us," Pyrrha said, trying to push past them. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at the muscular one.

"Hear us out," he said.

"Just let us pass."

"Sorry Jaune," a female voice said. Jaune lost all of the color in his face, and he slowly turned to face her. It was her again. "But you and I need to have a chat. Thanks again boys."

"Anything for a friend," the muscled man said.

"Of course," another replied with a strong Scottish accent.

"That's Leonidas and William," the girl said. "Over there," she pointed to their left. They saw a man with a monkey tail hanging out. "Is Spartacus."

"Who are you?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said. "Please, just let me-."

"My name is Joan Arc," the girl said. "And I just wish to speak with my little brother."

"You have a sister?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah," Jaune said. "I was hoping I wouldn't see her."

"Tough luck baby bro," she said. "I want to ask you a few questions. How is it, that someone that got rejected by every combat school out there, would end up at Beacon Academy?" Jaune didn't reply, he just stared at his feet. "Would it have anything to do with those fake transcripts I found in your room?" Jaune now looked up, completely surprised. "I'm not as dumb as you may think, and I'm certainly more observant then you give me credit for. Now, for my next question. How are you still alive?"

"I've worked hard, and I'm getting better. Pyrrha's been helping me."

"Ah yes, Pyrrha Nikos. The biggest name coming into Beacon. So how have you been doing?"

"Well, I lead team JNPR. And I-."

"Wait!" Joan said, raising up her hand. "Leading? How are you the leader of a team?"

"I don't know."

"Because he's good," Pyrrha said. "You'd be surprised at how much he has improved. Don't get him kicked out of Beacon." Joan now smiled widely.

"I spent a decent portion of my life protecting this idiot," she said. "Now, he gets a chance to prove himself. Why would I get him kicked out?" Jaune's shoulders relaxed, and he stared at his sister thankfully. "That being said," she began. "If you die, not my problem. I'll act all sad, but you'll be on your own. Unless we have to work together? Are we clear?" Jaune nodded quickly. "Good. Let's go boys." Joan turned around, and the rest of her team followed.

"That was interesting," Pyrrha said. "So is that really your sister?"

"Yeah," Jaune said. "My parents always pushed me to improve more, but she was always naturally better at things then me. She always had my back, but I was never as good as her."

"Do you know her team?"

"I know of them. JWLS, Joan Arc, William Wallace, Leonidas Brave, and Spartacus Thracia. They're supposed to be good."

"Glad we're on there good side."

_Outside of the Rat's Nest_

He looked up at his informant's home. He checked his dust contents, and walked up to the front.

"Name?" The guard asked. He just looked up, and let his black eye be visible from behind his streaked hair. "Right." The guard stepped aside, and he entered in. He walked over to the main table, and took a seat. The Rat looked up at him, and smiled.

"And so he returns," the Rat said, lifting up his arms. "Who are you hunting down this time?" He brushed aside his hair, revealing his crimson eye. It quickly fell back into place, covering it up once again behind his red locks of hair, with the occasional streak of black.

"Not hunting this time," he said. "No bounty's, this is personal."

"Someone pissed off the Red Reaper? Haha, they're not very bright."

"Wrong again Rat." Now the Rat stared at him, and waited for the orders. "I need confirmation on a location for someone." He tossed a small bag of crystals, and the Rat opened it up. He picked out the one red crystal, and looked at the name inscribed on it. He tapped it out on his scroll, and just nodded.

"They're exactly where you think they'd be," he said. "But, if you're looking for a fight, pick it somewhere else. There are a few people over there that you wouldn't want to piss off."

"Then we don't have an issue," the Red Reaper said, standing to leave. "Like I said, this is a personal visit." He swept around his black cloak, and exited the bar.

**End: I'm really sorry about the length of this. This is a setup chapter in every sense of the meaning, but the next one should be back to my normal length. Check the comments for a {hopefully} good link. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	64. Chapter 64

Child of Grimm Ch. 64

**For epicman whenever you see this, looking back on it I shouldn't of have gotten so annoyed. I think the only thing was you saying it was a 4/10 and you were still reading it.**

Derek woke up, and rolled out of bed. He tossed on his armor and clothes, and looked around at his sleeping teammates. _No attempt from Monica today. Wonderful. I hate it when she tries that. _It had been a few days since everyone had come back, and Derek was enjoying himself. He rarely saw JWLS, the main reason being that they were a third year. He saw ASSN a few times outside of the normal lunch, but they kept to themselves. Of course, DRGN, RWBY, and JNPR stayed in good contact with each other. Otherwise, very few things had actually happened. The break was finally drawing to a close, and Derek was grateful for the chance at doing things again. He looked out the window, and scanned over Beacon. He thought he saw a man, but he blinked and the man was gone. _That was odd. I wonder what that was about. I've never been delusional. Perhaps it was just another object, and my mind filled in the gaps. Still... _Derek jumped out of the window, and flew around Beacon.

_Hidden Complex_

"Oh Xander," Cinder called out. "We have a job for you." Xander put away his weapons, and gestured to his team.

"What exactly are we talking?" He asked.

"We just need to hit another hunter base, let them know who's in control of the situation."

"That, we can do."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek landed inside of his dorm, and folded up his wings. He had seen no sign of a man being outside of the school. He could of have sworn...

"Hey D," Nathan said as he stretched out. "Just come back?"

"Yes," Derek replied. "I had something I wanted to investigate."

"And?"

"Nothing. Just a figment of my imagination."

"I knew you were crazy. When Gwen wakes up, she's going to confirm this."

"Don't get your hopes up wolfy," Derek said, patting Nathan on the back. "I'm relatively sure it was a shadow that my brain associated with a human."

"How much time have you been spending with Sal?"

"You know, I don't know why I tell you anything." Nathan smiled, and spun around his axe.

"I'm a good listener," he said. "But a terrible empathizer." Derek sighed, and looked over at the girls. They were both awake, and both of them were wearing their jackets.

"How long have you been up?" He asked.

"Long enough to say that you're not crazy," Gwen said. "The shadow thing is actually very common. Did the man appear to be wearing a darker outfit?" Derek nodded. "Then you're totally fine. Who knows, it could be our shadow friend." Derek just nodded again, and made a mental note to ask Sal later on. "So are we off?" Derek nodded, and lead his team to the cafeteria.

_Outside of Beacon_

He carefully watched over the movements. He still hadn't seen what he wanted too, but he was almost seen. Stealth was not in his name, and it almost cost him. That Grimm hybrid that he had heard of, almost had caught him. If it wasn't for his semblance, he would of have been seen. Of that he was sure. He moved back to another perch, and kept a close eye on the school. They would arrive soon enough, if not, the Rat would have to be wrong. The Rat was never wrong.

_Cafeteria_

Derek sat down with his team and friends, and briefly greeted everyone. Jaune seemed to feel more relaxed as of late. Even though he had adjusted to his role as leader of team JNPR a long time ago, the knowledge that his sister wasn't going to cause any issues for him seemed to be another level for him. ASSN and LOOS were at the end of the table, just eating quietly.

"Sal," Derek called out. Sal looked up at him, and tilted his head to the side. "Were you outside of Beacon earlier today?"

"Can't say I was," Sal said. "I've either been here or my dorm all day. Why?"

"I thought I saw someone earlier, but I'm relatively sure it was just a shadow. I decided to check on whether or not it was both." Sal grinned, and just shook his head.

"Wasn't me. Don't know of anyone else with my semblance too." Derek nodded, and resumed eating.

"Are you sure he isn't crazy?" Yang asked as she reached over to try and tap Derek. Luckily for her, Blake was between them.

"Positive," Gwen said. "He doesn't display any other forms of mental illness." Yang seemed slightly disappointed by the serious answer, and she just resumed eating, at a complete loss of what to say.

"So how are things going on the relationship front?" Monica asked, pointing over to RWBY. Yang seemed to cheer up considerably at the question.

"Really good," Yang said. "Me and Blakey are going along smoothly, and I can only assume the same thing for Ruby and Weiss."

"Yes it's going well," Weiss said, slightly annoyed that Yang had answered for her.

"Good," Monica said. "If it was going over poorly, then I'd have some serious questions as to who you all were." Everyone laughed slightly, and LOOS stood up.

"Once again," Olivia said. "An early departure for us. See all of you later." Everyone said goodbye, and then ASSN stood up.

"We're also heading out," Alan said. "We'll be at the training grounds if you need us." ASSN departed, and the other teams just continued to eat. As soon as they were out of earshot, Nor leaned close to Sal.

"Were you outside today?" She asked quietly.

"No," he replied. "I don't know what that's about. It probably was just a shadow."

Derek soon finished up his own food, and he departed from the others. He walked down the hall, and quickly exited Beacon. There was a slim chance that it was a person that he had seen, but he never played it safe. He quickly took off, and flew around the school.

Everyone else resumed eating, and kept up their conversations after Derek had left. They had all grown quite accustomed to the absence of the Children of Grimm and ASSN, so them leaving never threw a wrench in their conversations anymore. Ruby briefly looked out the window, and paused for a moment. She took a moment to confirm what she had seen, and then she finished up her food.

"See you later guys," she said quickly.

"Where are you going?" Weiss asked.

"Just back to our dorm." Ruby quickly left the room, and walked outside. What was Derek doing?

_Outside of Beacon_

He took another sip from his bottle, and sighed deeply. Still no sign of them. It was lucky he was patient, a very good trait for someone in his line of work. He quickly ducked under a tree, noticing someone flying overhead. If he wasn't careful, the hybrid would spot him. He was now positive that the hybrid had at least caught sight of him, and that made him concerned. He had heard tales of how dedicated the hybrid was, and that could mean bad news for him. He saw that the hybrid had passed, and he leaned out from the tree. He saw exactly what he had hoped to see. He quickly stepped out from the tree, and swiftly walked over to his target.

Derek circled around again. He still hadn't caught sight of anything, which made him start to believe it was a shadow. He circled around back to his dorm, and he noticed Ruby looking around. He sighed deeply, and looked down at her. _She's probably looking for me. I'm positive she saw me flying. Otherwise, she wouldn't be out here, alone. _He started to angle himself to the ground to explain himself to Ruby, but something else caught his eye. He quickly picked up the pace, and angled himself for the ground.

Ruby walked around some more. She still hadn't see Derek, even though her gaze was pretty much directed straight up. She finally saw him, and she stopped for a moment.

"Hello," someone said. Ruby looked up to see who had said that, and she cautiously took a step back. The man standing in front of her had crimson hair with black highlights streaking down it. His hair covered up one of his eyes, but the one visible was black. He wore a red shirt, with black straps going across it. He wore long black pants, with some red streaks going down those. He topped off his look with a black cloak, which concealed most of him. Ruby hesitated to do anything, slightly unnerved by the sight of him. He quickly flicked his hair out of the way, revealing that his other eye was crimson. "I've been spending some time looking for you." Before Ruby could do anything, Derek landed in between them. He quickly pulled out his sword and spear, and leveled them at the man.

"Back off," Derek said. "I saw you earlier, and you will not get past me."

"You back off," the man said. "We're on the same side."

"Same side? Then what's your intention with my friend?" Ruby backed away slightly, and pulled out Crescent Rose. She leveled it at the stranger, and he smiled.

"So that only confirms my suspicion," he stated. "Hello Ruby Rose."

"Back off," she said, leveling Crescent Rose. "Or fight. You can't take on both of us."

"You might be correct, but perhaps I'll just show you this." He quickly reached behind him, and pulled out a small box design. He flicked the switch, and it unfolded into a scythe, larger then Crescent Rose. "The Roses Eclipse," he stated. "A weapon close to my heart." Crescent Rose dipped in Ruby's hands, as something seemed to click with her. Derek was doing what he could to keep the two of them apart. He knew that even a blade as large as Roses Eclipse would have a difficult time damaging him.

"You better explain yourself right now," Derek said. "At the very least, occupation and name."

"I'm a bounty hunter," he replied. "And my name, is Adamantite Rose. I believe, that I have a direct relation to Ruby."

"Rose?" Derek asked, now more concerned then ever. "Exactly what relation?"

"One of blood. I believe that I may of have discovered my sister."

**End: Shoutout to Ragenogha, for whom Adamantite Rose was created by. Going to leave a better link now, www. imgur .com yI2RAdG Just remove the spaces and that should work {fifth time's the charm}. Crossed 65 followers, and I'm really amazed. I definitely thought that this story would of have stalled by now, but here we are at 65 followers and still climbing. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	65. Chapter 65

Child of Grimm Ch. 65

**Well epicman just coped out of reading my story, to which I say go for it. I understand that not everyone will enjoy my story, and if you still dislike it then stop reading.**

Ruby and Derek just stared at him for a long time, unsure of whether or not to lower their weapons.

"Okay then," Adamantite said. "I'll go first." He put away Roses Eclipse, and raised up his hands. "There, now can you put away your weapons?" Everyone nodded, and quickly sheathed their own weapons. "That's better."

"You look familiar," Derek said, now taking a closer view of him. "You said you're a bounty hunter, so what's your alias?"

"The Red Reaper," he replied with a smile. "You might have heard of me."

"I have, otherwise I wouldn't of have put away my weapons Adamantite."

"Just call me Adam. I'd prefer to dispense with formalities." Derek nodded, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ruby called out. "Where are you going?"

"I think it's best if I leave you two to sort this out," he said. "I'm not exactly the best person for this."

"I still want you here," Ruby tried. Derek sighed, and turned back around.

"Do you want me to get Yang? Or Weiss?"

"No," Ruby said firmly. "You promised my mother you'd watch over me, and this is in that realm." _I was afraid you'd say that. _Derek walked back over to Ruby and Adam, and stood by Ruby.

"Okay," Derek sighed. "You may begin whenever."

"Great," Adam said. "As I have told you, my name is Adamantite Rose. I've been a bounty hunter for quite some time. I started when I was 15, so that means I've been doing this for about five years."

"You're 20?" Ruby asked. Adam nodded. "Sorry, continue."

"I also took an interest to our mother's weapon selection. Roses Eclipse just became apart of me, and I've used it since it was made."

"What was your mother's name?" Derek asked, leaning against a tree. _If there would be a hole in his story, it would be in the name._

"I don't know," he confessed. "I was rarely with her. I spent most of my time with our father, Onyx Rose. Can you confirm?" Ruby shook her head, and Adam seemed to be a little sad. "That's unfortunate. Regardless, I lost our father, and our mother trailed shortly. I learned that I had a sister through other people, and I saw you on the news not too long ago, and I asked my informant to confirm your location. I had to play a hunch. Call it instincts." Derek thought about it for a long time. _I must admit, his story makes a lot of sense. Especially from what I've heard about the Red Reaper. _

"So you really think that you're my brother," Ruby said. Adam nodded, and just awaited her response. "I don't know if I really believe I have a brother. I have Yang as my kind of adopted sister, but I've never heard of you before."

"Doesn't surprise me. I have nothing to prove that I'm related to you. I just wanted to see if the image I painted in my mind of my sister is accurate."

"And?" Ruby asked, slightly eager.

"Surprisingly close. Regardless of whether or not we're confirmed as siblings, I'll keep a close eye on you." Adam swung around his cloak, and ran off. He almost seemed to teleport, with only black rose petals being left behind. _That explains why I couldn't figure out where he had gone at first. He has a speed semblance, just like Ruby. Only, slightly more developed then hers._

"Well that was interesting," Derek said. "You would be related to someone named the Red Reaper." Ruby smiled, and looked back at Beacon. "Do you want to inform the others?" Ruby kicked at some dirt, unsure of what to do.

"I think maybe," she said. "I mean, yes, or no, or." She sighed deeply. "I don't know."

"I figure you'll at least tell Yang. She is your sister, so Adamantite is her business as well." Ruby looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. "Yang isn't your full sister, is she?"

"Not even half," Ruby replied. "She's Uncle Qrow's daughter, and we just sort of became sisters when my mother died. We did spend a lot of time together before hand though." _Well that explains the last names. _"But still, I want to know what she thinks of the whole situation. Just, don't tell anyone."

"Of course not," Derek said, leading Ruby back inside. "I'll only speak of this, when you wish for me to speak of this." Ruby nodded gratefully, and they both separated for their dorms.

_Hidden Complex_

The airship landed, and Xander lead his team out of it. He was smiling from ear to ear, and his team also seemed quite satisfied with themselves.

"Xander!" Someone said sternly. He turned around to see Torchwick and Cinder waiting on him. "How did it go?" Torchwick asked.

"What do you think Slick?" Xander asked.

"I think it went over well," Torchwick replied, smiling. "You seem quite useful."

"Some of the credit goes to these guys," Xander said, raising his arms to his team. "The combination of two mad men, a flashy weapons expert, a brute force fighter, and someone who is actually quite intelligent, is a good combo. So long as they continue to remember who's in charge, we can take care of anyone."

"That's good news," Cinder said. "Because soon, we will set our sights on our biggest problems."

"What are we waiting for?"

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

Ruby silently entered her dorm, and looked around. No one was back yet, which inspired confidence. She now had time to think about what exactly she wanted to say, and whether or not she wanted to let her team know about Adam. She sat down on her bed, and let out a heavy sigh. The door opened up immediately, and the rest of her team walked into the dorm. They didn't look at her at first, and all of them looked concerned.

"How have we still not found her?" Yang asked, concern lining her voice.

"I don't know," Weiss said. "It's not like her to disappear."

"Guys," Ruby said. "I'm up here." Everyone looked over at her, in slight surprise.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked. "Where were you? We've all been looking around the campus, worried sick!"

"I was elsewhere," she replied. "Why didn't you message me?" Now the rest of her team looked at each other.

"Oh," Yang said. "That makes a lot of sense... Well, where were you?" Ruby took a deep breath in, and looked at her sister.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

"Sure."

"Alone." Now Weiss and Blake looked at each other, slightly concerned as to how this might play out. "Please?" Ruby asked, pouting ever so slightly. Weiss and Blake backed out of the dorm, and Yang climbed onto her sister's bunk.

"What's up?" Yang asked.

"Something happened earlier," Ruby said. "When I left the cafeteria, it was because I saw Derek flying around. He was looking for something, and I wanted to see what. Someone came up to me, and I'm really conflicted on how I feel."

"Umm," Yang began. "Are you having doubts about dating Weiss?"

"Huh? No!" Yang took a deep stare at her sister, and just waited to see if the answer changed. "No, I'm not conflicted like that. He said his name was Adamantite Rose, and he said he was my brother." Now it was Yang's turn to look baffled.

"Your... What?"

"I don't know what to think about this. I just wanted to know if you believed him."

"I don't know... It seems strange that Summer wouldn't mention this, and why would Qrow not tell us?"

"Well, we always could ask him."

_DRGN's Dorm_

Derek flew in through the window, and saw that his team was waiting on him.

"Took you long enough," Monica said. "Where were you? And why did you lie to us?"

"Lie to you?" Derek said. "I merely said if you needed me, I would be here. I never made it binding to my location." Monica took a deep stare at him, and Derek just returned the stare. _I will always win this battle, it's only a matter of time. _Monica finally looked away from him, clearly frustrated that she had lost again. "As to where I was, taking a flight, as I do to clear my head."

"Nothing else happened?" Nathan asked, tossing his axe up into the air.

"Why does something else have to happen?"

"Because it's you, and something else always seems to happen."

"This time, nothing did." Derek jumped onto his bed, and kicked back. _Or at least, nothing happened until Ruby is fine with me admitting something happened._

_Hidden Complex_

Xander was sitting around the planning table. He was surrounded by his team, the twins, Junior, Bush, Adam, and Torchwick.

"Alright then," Xander said. "If we were to attack when planned, then here are the outcomes I have seen. The first of which is the most likely, and that is both sides suffer heavy losses. I've come up with some ways around that, but none of them are very easy. Junior and the twins, you have the best chance against ASSN. Bush, Adam and Torchwick, you will have to come up with ways to fight RWBY and JNPR. My team, will be dealing with LOOS and DRGN. There could be more teams involved, so none of this is final. Everyone clear?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Then let's get the preparation started."

**End: The final image is done for DRGN. File size is too big for me to be able to use it for the cover {=[}, but here is the link imgur . com krgXAkA/jpg Huge thanks to reddit user /u/Muffinsealeater. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	66. Chapter 66

Child of Grimm Ch. 66

**I crossed 65 followers again! Someone unfollowed and then I got another one =P. Anyways, I started reading some other popular White Rose and Bumblebee stories, and I feel really terrible now about my ways of handling those two ships. Apologies for that. As to this chapter, I wanted to follow along with the criminals, because I just need this chapter as a writer.**

Xander woke up, and looked around. His coat was hanging nearby, but otherwise, his chamber was exactly as it always was. He was never a big believer in keeping cleanly, and that was something the others had come to ignore. He quickly picked up Hive and Nest, and checked their dust. Full, as it always was. He exited the doorway, and saw Vlad waiting for him.

"Spikes," Xander said. "What did I tell you?"

"Don't wait for you," Vlad replied. "It's creepy."

"Bingo. You know what I do, so go train the other three."

"Where will you be?" Vlad asked, pulling out his scroll.

"Some business and innovative ideas my friend," Xander replied as he walked off. Vlad just nodded, and returned to the other three mercenaries. Xander trusted him enough to oversee their... Specialized methods. He walked over to the conference room, and knocked on the door.

"What?" An angry voice asked.

"Good to see you too boss," Xander replied. "Open up." The door swung open, and Cinder stared down Xander.

"What is it?" She asked.

"A few things that I ran through my mind," he replied. "One of them, should interest you." Cinder stepped out of the way, and Xander walked in. Xander sat down at his chair, and kicked his boots up on the table.

"You'd better get explaining," Cinder said as she took her seat. "I'm not in the mood to play games."

"Chill out hot stuff," Xander replied. "I've been thinking about our ultimate goal, and our main obstacles." Cinder gestured for him to go on. "Well, I ran the probabilities in my mind. In a lot of situations, everyone gets to us. Nothing is laid out right now to the point where we can win." Cinder lit a ball of fire in her hand, and looked over at him. "Now," Xander started again, completely ignoring Cinder's threat. "I had to think, where are we at, and the answer was staring me in the face. We need to get someone back in the game."

"Who?" Cinder asked, slightly confused.

"Mr. White Fang himself, Adam Taurus." Cinder glared angrily at him.

"What makes you think, that I'd trust him enough to allow him to go unsupervised?" Cinder challenged.

"Oh he wouldn't be unsupervised, we'd have to keep a close eye on him. That being said, I trust him in the role that I'd want him in."

"What role is that exactly?" Xander smiled, and stood up.

"Adam's got a real talent," Xander said as he started to circle around the table. "He has managed to piss off almost _everyone _that we're trying to beat. So that means one thing, he's already in their heads." Now Cinder was intrigued. She gestured for him to continue, and Xander resumed his pacing. "He started off fast, by killing the dragon's parents. That was already enough to piss him off, and he just layered it on as the years passed. Next, we got the kitty cat. Now she trusted him, right? Well, he goes off and reveals his true colors, and now the kitty cat hates him. Now we've got the other Grimm brats." Xander began to sweep his arms around with every word, adding on another layer of emphasis with each of his words. "Every, last, one, of them." He stopped, and placed his hands on the chair. "He killed their parents, and effectively pissed them off too. Now, we gotta look over to JNPR. No real biggie there, but that's where their close buds comes into play. You've got the rest RWBY, right? Little red, kidnapped her, was directly responsible for the death of her mother, etc. And because you hurt her, blondie and fancy are pissed at him too, and that's not even factoring in the kitty cat. That right there, is three of our biggest threats, and he pissed off every last one of them." Xander jumped into his chair, and spun himself around. "All we have to do, is capitalize on it. Would you mind?" Xander asked, gesturing to the door.

"Guard!" Cinder barked. One of Junior's guards walked in, and looked expectingly at her. "Get Adam. We have some business to discuss." The guard nodded, and exited the room.

He returned a short while later, Adam close in tow. The guard quickly left the room, and Adam looked at Cinder and Xander.

"Here to finally get rid of me?" Adam asked.

"Oh-ho, Adam," Cinder said. "You couldn't be more wrong. Xander here, may of have just found a good use for you." Adam now looked very afraid. His fate now rested in the hands of a mad man.

"Chill out mask," Xander said, his boots resting on the table. "I'm not going to leave you for dead. You seem to have a very specific skill set that'll come in handy for this."

"What is that?" Adam asked.

"Oh it's quite simple, you've pissed off damn near everyone we've had to fight." Adam angrily looked at him, and Xander just held up his hands innocently. "You can't deny it."

"Then what are you implying I do? I can't walk up to them and start to talk with them?"

"Tsk, tsk," Xander said, waving his finger. "No imagination. You've already done it, and you've done it several times." Xander turned to Cinder. "Do you think that you can get one of those dream machines built?" Cinder smiled, and Adam's shoulders relaxed.

"Of course," Cinder said. "We'll have it done in time for a visit tonight. Prepare yourself Adam, we'll be using you quite a bit in the future." Xander stood up.

"I'll let you two deal with this," he said. "But I've got to make sure that we're ready. Besides, I've never been a fan of meetings."

"You can go Xander," Cinder said, waving her hand dismissively. Xander nodded, and left for the mercs.

_Training Grounds_

Vlad swung around his halberd into the legs of another one of the dummies, and he stood up. He quickly twirled it around, and slammed it into the ground. He looked around at the other three, and sighed. He wasn't there for planning, he was there for psychological advantages. Yi swung around his chain into one of the dummies, and then he quickly wrapped it around another one. Ely swung her mace into one of the dummies, and fired off her shotgun to bring it around into another one. Hawk swung around his swords into the throat of one of the dummies, and then he fired off two shots into another one. Vlad lowered his halberd, and looked at the destroyed dummies. He heard a slow clap in the distance, and Vlad turned to see Xander walking over to them.

"You sure showed those dummies," he said. "But there's only one problem, we're not facing dummies. It's time to start preparing more specially for these brats." Everyone lowered their weapons. "Okay gentlemen, and lady, we've prepared some highly circumstantial situations for you to fight within." Xander's scroll rang, and he looked at it angrily. "Later. For now, another hunter base needs to be taken down." He quickly holstered Hive and Nest, and walked over to an airship. The other mercenaries trailed behind him, and they all piled into the airship.

_Conference Room_

Torchwick knocked on the door, and Cinder opened it up.

"Hello Roman," she greeted. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to ask about what we are doing going forward," Torchwick said. "I understand what we're trying to do long term, but what exactly is Xander's role within our organization."

"It really is quite simple Roman, he has a semblance that increases his value to us, along with his fighting technique. He may be mad, but he's more useful then you can understand."

"It's the other two isn't it? They want to keep him?"

"We all do. I don't see what the issue is. He's only in charge of direct fighting, the overall plan is still ours." Roman nodded, and pivoted to leave. "Wait!" Cinder called out. "I want to speak with you for a moment. Like I said, we have big plans."

_Hunter Base: Outside_

Xander stepped off of the airship, and briefly looked over the base. Yi, Ely, Hawk, and Vlad trailed shortly. Hawk looked out with him, and narrowed his gaze.

"Lots of guards," he said quickly. He looked over it some more, and frowned. "There is a lot more then the last two bases we've attacked."

"I guess the boss wants us to be tested," Xander said. "No matter." He raised up Hive and Nest, and took careful aim.

"What are you doing?" Yi asked, his hand resting on Dragon's Tongue.

"Relax flash. I'm using the sights on these things to get a good luck at it." Yi relaxed slightly. "Alright, here's the plan. I'm gonna blow a hole through the wall, and then fire off a few more rounds of 64. From there, the rest of you will rush in. Tweety bird, I want you to fly over them. Land in the middle of the guards, because they're going to clump together. Hack and slash your way through them, and then we'll get to you. Spikes, you're going to box them in with your spikes. Muscles and flash, finish up the box and drive them into Tweety. I'll be club through anyone that gets in my way. We clear?" Before anyone could reply, Xander pulled the trigger on Hive and Nest. He blanketed the front of the wall with fire, and it exploded into rubble shortly after. Xander fired off several more layers, and the hunters were all starting to panic. Most of their auras were depleted, and many of them already lay dead on the ground. Xander lowered his weapons, and grinned at the others.

"Sic 'em," Xander ordered. Hawk flew up into the air, and quickly sped towards the amassing hunters. Yi and Ely raised up their weapons, and started to run forward. Vlad waited for them to finish bundling together, and he boxed all of them in with his spikes. Xander and Vlad started to walk forward, their weapons hefted over their shoulders.

Hawk landed behind all of the hunters, and quickly thrust his sword through one of their stomachs. Another one raised up their weapons, but Hawk shot him in the stomach. His aura deflected the round, but he took a moment to recover. That moment was enough for Hawk to slit his throat. The next hunter tried to bring their spear at Hawk's legs, but he just dove back and threw his sword into her neck. He pulled it out, and swept two more hunters off of their legs, and brought his sword into their chests. He turned to face another one, but a spike impaled them through their chest. Hawk smiled, and turned to face more hunters.

Ely and Yi walked at the hunters. Most of them weren't facing them, and instead were focusing on Hawk. Ely smiled, and decided to change that. She fired off a shot from her mace, and propelled herself into the air. She quickly brought it down, and folded a hunter into nothing. She fired off another shot from her mace, and sent a hunter through the air. The hunter landed, and shakily stood up. It appeared that he had more aura then most of his comrades. Before he got an opportunity to fight, a small chain of flames wrapped around his legs. He was pulled into the air, and then Yi swung around Dragon's Tongue across his chest. The hunter collapsed, not having any aura to keep up his defense. Yi swung around his chain again, and cut down several more hunters at the same time.

Vlad stepped forward, and thrust his spear point into the chest of a hunter. She deflected the strike with her aura, but he had a quick solution. He brought around his pike into her back, and she toppled over. Vlad quickly twirled around his halberd, and brought a huge gash across several hunters. Most of them survived, so Vlad started to unload his clips into them. All of the hunters collapsed, and he turned in time to see a hunter fall to the ground, Xander standing over him. Xander looked over the bodies, and nodded approvingly.

"And another one bites the dust," he exclaimed. "Alright spike, you're up." Vlad nodded, and concentrated his aura. Hawk, Ely, and Yi ran out of the midst of the bodies, and waited by the airship. Vlad propped up the bodies, and put away his halberd. He entered into the airship, and it started to take off.

_Hidden Complex_

"And you're sure this will work?" Adam asked, looking at the device, some slight concern going across his face.

"It's built by the same model as your last one," Cinder said. "Just get in." Adam nodded, and gently stepped into the machine.

**End: Sorry for the late update/one chapter. This week might be tricky as a whole, but the only reason that I didn't upload was because of the Ravens/Lions game {what a game}. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	67. Chapter 67

Child of Grimm Ch. 67

**This chapter had me for a bit as to exactly what to do. I have {one confirmed, one unconfirmed so far} two siblings that need some love between Adamantite and Joan. I made the decision that Adamantite's time might be more limited with the teams, given his current profession.**

Adamantite woke up, and tossed off his makeshift blanket. He looked over his tent, and quickly broke it down. He briefly checked his weapon, and then packed up his items in his bag. He looked around him, and found a small cafe. He opened up the door, and the hostess greeted him warmly. Adamantite nodded, and took his seat. He ordered a plate of eggs and bacon, and just looked through his scroll. There had to be a bounty that was worth his while. He saw some of the usual ones, Hawk, Ely, Yi, Xander, and other high priced mercenaries. Adam ignored them, and kept looking through. They were only a concern if they were being payed from the wrong people. He actually had met some of them before, and they were doing what he was doing. The only difference, Adam was looking on the most wanted list and they were looking at the pay. He picked out a low level thug, who had connections with a big organization. He checked the status, and noticed that he was wanted alive. Low level thugs were always the cops way of getting into big organizations, and that much Adam understood.

"Do you want anymore coffee?" The waitress asked him. Adam looked up, and gave a warm smile. He carefully looked over her. She had red hair, and eyes to match that. She was slightly taller then most women, and she stood with a certain level of authority, despite her profession.

"Sure," he said. The waitress was pouring it, and then looked over at him.

"You don't look familiar," she remarked. "And you look pretty distinctive. Not the usual people in black attire we get around here."

"I'm not from here," Adam said, taking a sip from his coffee afterwords. "I'm just blowing through."

"What's your job?" Adam looked over at her, his eyes very questioning. "No one else is here, my boss won't mind."

"I'm a bounty hunter by trade."

"Ooo that's a cool job. You in town for a bounty?" She asked, expecting no reply from him.

"I'm in town to meet some family of mine, and the bounty came up afterwords." The waitress seemed slightly surprised that he answered, and Adam held up his hand. "Most people assume that we can't talk about our bounties, and that's only partially true. Tell me, you don't have any connection to a criminal organization, do you?" The waitress shook her head. "Then we have no issues." Adam took another sip from his coffee, and then he took a bite out of his eggs. "I think I might stick around here though. What's your name?"

"Rosanne," she replied.

"I'm Adamantite, you can call me Adam." She nodded in his direction. "Do you do anything else? Or is your only profession?" She stiffened up, slightly concerned about why he was asking that. "I'm only asking because you seem more confident then a waitress." Rosanne relaxed, and then nodded.

"I'm working to finish up my third year at Beacon," she replied. Adam choked on his coffee slightly, and then looked at her again.

"You're a huntress?" He asked.

"Almost. This is just to earn some extra lien." Adam nodded, and then something occurred to him.

"Have you ever heard of a Ruby Rose?" He asked.

"Somewhat," she replied, shrugging. "I've heard of her within the context of the Grimm hybrid. But I know that she uses a scythe, and that she knows exactly how to use it. I've seen some tape of her fighting. Why you asking?"

"My full name is Adamantite Rose, and I have some reasons to believe that she is my sister."

"Wait! Ruby has a brother? I've heard of her sister, but..." She now dead stopped. Her mind had just been blown.

"She never had a reason to know. I grew up with our father." The door opened up, and Rosanne sighed. She walked over to the front, and Adam just looked over the info that he had on the thug. He wasn't well hidden, and if it wasn't for his higher priced security, the cops would of have already taken him. Rosanne walked the new arrivals over, and sat them at the table next to him. Adam pulled up his hood, and just kept eating his food. He was almost done, and it would be time to leave.

"Wait a minute," he heard someone say. Adam tilted his head slightly. He knew that voice. He felt someone's presence right by him, and he looked over. "Adam?"

"Ruby?" He said, slightly confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Blake decided to treat us to breakfast," Ruby replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking out a bounty." He took the last bite of his eggs, and stood up. "I promise, I'll try to visit when I'm done." He tossed down some lien on the table, and then added on a tip. He brushed off his cloak, and pulled up his hood. He felt compelled to stay, but there was something making him feel compelled to walk away.

"Adam," Ruby said. "Please stay for a bit longer." Adam paused, and made his mind up.

"I will," he said. "But only for a little bit. As much as I am overjoyed by the prospect of having a sister, I do have a bounty to collect." Ruby nodded, and lead Adam over to the table. He looked around at the group. There was a blonde girl, a girl with a bow, and a girl with a tiara. He could already identify their personalities just by carefully observing them. The blonde seemed a little more cautious of him, leading him to believe that she was either careful or protective. Based off of what he knew of this team, she was being protective. The girl with the bow seemed to be very analytic, quiet, cautious. A strong silent type. The girl with the tiara just seemed uninterested in him, and she overall had a very different air to her. She was rich, or just uptight, or possible both. He was unsure of what to think of her, and his judgement was really going to be determined later on.

"Guys," Ruby said. "This is Adamantite, or just Adam." Bow looked over him more cautiously, and he just pulled up a chair. "Adam, this is my team. Introduce yourselves."

"I'm Yang," the blonde said. "Ruby's older sister."

"Blake," bow added in.

"And Weiss," tiara finished.

"As in Weiss Schnee?" Adam asked. She hesitated, and then nodded. "So I've heard of one of you before."

"Anyways," Ruby said. "Adam is a..." Ruby stopped. How would she introduce Adam? She still wasn't completely convinced of his relation to her, but nor did she really think that she should introduce as something else.

"A friend," Adam said, saving her. "And a bounty hunter. You can call me Adam, Adamantite, or just the Red Reaper. Either one works." Everyone nodded, but Blake and Weiss seemed suspicious of him. He was confident that Ruby had told Yang exactly what he had said, and he was just playing for the other two.

"The Red Reaper?" Weiss asked. Adam nodded. "So you're the bounty hunter that my father hired."

"Bingo." Now Ruby looked confused. "I got offered to guard a dust shipment. Normally not my thing, but it all fell under the realm of legal so I took it."

"It certainly doesn't hurt that my father paid you a lot of money," Weiss added. Adam shrugged.

"I'm a bounty hunter, that's what my entire job is."

"More like an expensive mercenary."

"That's not actually that true _heiress_. Perhaps if you had listened to your father when he told you what it was that I do, then you would understand exactly what it is that I do. I often take less money to catch wanted criminals, and I never have taken money to work against the law." Weiss paused, realizing that she had once again talked from her prior notions as apposed to any actual knowledge. "So these people seem interesting," Adam continued. "Would you mind telling me what your relation is to my... Friend." Adam knew he had hesitated, and that might cost him. Luckily, Weiss and Blake didn't seem to notice.

"Teammate," Blake said. "And I date her sister." Now Adam tilted his head out of curiosity. He had heard about Ruby's sister and her more rambunctious nature, accompanied with Blake's very quiet demeanor. It made almost perfect sense, removing any other thing that would cause people to doubt it.

"Partner," Weiss said boredly. "In more ways then one." Now Adam took a moment to ponder this. More ways then one... Did that mean she was dating Ruby? Adam's opinion on her changed rapidly, and he now accepted Weiss. If she was good enough to pass through Ruby's inspection, he would have to trust that for himself.

"And I've already said that I'm her sister," Yang said. Adam nodded.

"Well," he said, standing up. "It's been a nice little meet and greet, but I have a bounty to collect." He pulled up his hood, and turned to leave.

"He seems interesting," Weiss said. Ruby nodded, and watched her brother go.

_Club_

Adam stepped outside, and inspected the mostly empty building. It looked no different then other clubs he had seen, which made him slightly disappointed. So far, Vale offered very little variety from the other kingdoms that he had roamed. He walked up to the door, and was immediately stopped by one of the guards. He looked over the man, and studied his red suit and red hat, along with the black tie. He had to approve of his color choice.

"Name?" The guard asked.

"Adam Thorn," he said, his normal alias to slip into places undetected.

"ID?" Adam showed off his fake ID, and the guard stepped aside. Adam nodded, and made sure his crimson eye was covered. He stepped into the club, and found his target. He walked over, and sat next to them at the bar.

"I'll take Corona," he told the bartender. Despite not yet being of legal age, he had developed a semi-decent tolerance to alcohol. The bartender walked off to grab one, and his target looked over at him.

"Just getting a beer?" He asked. Adam nodded, and awaited his drink. "You know, you look like a tough guy. How good are you with a weapon?"

"Depends on the weapon," Adam said, taking his beer from the bartender. He tossed down some lien, and took a swig from it.

"Any would do."

"What's the reason?"

"My employers have become a little bit more cautious about my well being, and they're encouraging me to hire new help. Are you interested?"

"Depends," Adam said. "What's the pay?"

"Oh the pay would be that of a high salary person, depending on your worth." Adam considered the offer for a moment. That was a lot of money, certainly more then he made picking up bounties from the standpoint of an hourly wage. But he still had his priorities.

"Who do you work for?" Adam asked, trying to uphold his appearance of a mercenary.

"That should be none of your concern."

"But you see, I have other people bidding for my services. Your next answer determines whether or not I walk out that door and take another contract." He grunted, and realized the bind he was in. Adam knew that this particular thug had been in the game for a long time, and he understood the risk of revealing his employers. But Adam had used his alias, the ID and all, and he had done a very good job at keeping up the appearance of a mercenary at that point.

"Fine," the thug finally broke. "I work directly for Junior, and I don't know anything else." Adam smiled, and chugged the rest of his beer.

"Interesting," Adam said. "You know, Adam Thorn isn't my full name."

"What is it then?"

"Adamantite Thorn Rose, or the Red Reaper." The thug's eyes widened, and Adam broke the bottle over his head. The thug started to stumble back, and Adam brought his fist into the thug's nose. He fell to the ground, and Adam pulled out a pair of dust cuffs.

"Stop!" Someone ordered. Adam turned to see several guards standing behind him, their rifles drawn. "I suggest you leave now, while you can." Adam sighed, and pulled out Roses Eclipse.

"Make me," he said tauntingly. The guards all open fired, and Adam ran off in a flurry of black rose petals. The guards paused for a moment, confused as to where he was. Adam fired off a shot from Roses Eclipse, and flew straight at them. The guards turned in time to see Adam swing around Roses Eclipse into three of them. He fired off another shot to get himself into the air, and the guards started to open fire at him. Adam fired off a shot to move out of the way, and then he fired off another round to get himself hurling at the ground. He brought his scythe into one of the guards, and then fired off another shot to propel it into another one of the guards. The two remaining guards turned in time to see him pull out a pistol from the guard, and fire it off at one of the guards. The other one was quickly shot by Roses Eclipse, and Adam stood up. He walked over to where the thug was, but he noticed that he was missing. There was no sign of any blood, and he sighed deeply. Apparently he didn't hit his nose hard enough.

"Hey!" Someone called out from behind him. Adam turned, and saw the thug standing in the midst of three other guards. The thug pulled out a mace, and hefted it onto his shoulder. "You want to fight again?" He asked.

"Gladly," Adam replied. He reached into his holster, and raised up his pistol {Thorn's Execution}. He fired off three quick shots, and the guards all collapsed. The thug looked angrily at him, and waited on Adam to charge. Adam ran forward, and fired off a shot to get himself into the air. The thug raised up his mace to block the attack, but the force was too much. The mace was immediately thrown from his grasp, and Adam leveled his blade at the thug's throat.

"Go ahead," the thug said. "Kill me."

"I would," Adam replied. "But your bounty is for you to be captured alive." Adam quickly grabbed his collar, and hit him in the face. The thug blacked out, and Adam handcuffed him. He dragged him along, and walked outside. He smiled at the sight of his car, finally delivered to him. It had been moved from his original hideout, and it took them this long to get it there. He had gone to Vale with time in mind, and the fastest route was on foot. He tossed him in the back of his car {Steel Petal} and drove him to the nearest police station.

**End: No shit taken by Adam. Now, next chapter will focus on JWLS {probably}, but if there is an OC of yours that you have, and would like to see in my story, send it off to me. I will gladly take any into consideration. If it's an OC team, an OC bounty hunter, an OC merc, an OC criminal, even an OC Grimm I'll gladly consider it. Just PM me {and not leave a comment}. Any other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	68. Chapter 68

Child of Grimm Ch. 68

**I've already gotten a few OC's that I think I'll use. Send them in if you want them. Also, crossed over 55 favorites. Another thank you to everyone reading this story. Now, time to address some of JWLS.**

Spartacus woke up, and stretched out. He looked over to see that the rest of his team was already waking up. All of them slept on an identical sleep schedule, especially after they dumped water on Joan to get her to wake up earlier. Spartacus put on his sleeves, and then tossed on his shirt.

"Morning beauties," he greeted warmly. "How was your nights worth of sleep?"

"Great," Joan grumbled. "Thanks for the gift, by the way."

"Gift?" William asked, suddenly intrigued. "What exactly is this?"

"He swapped out my mattress and burned my other one." Spartacus jumped onto his bed, and smiled.

"I wouldn't be smiling," Leonidas said. "You've lived with her for three years, so you should know that her level of revenge is worse then anyone else here." Spartacus' eyes widened as he realized what it entailed. "You never learn."

"Too impulsive," Spartacus said. "So what are we doing today beef cake?"

"Don't know," Leonidas replied. "We're coming up on the end of our break, and that means that we still have a few more days before we actually have stuff to do. Anything you'd like to do?"

"I'd like to see my brother," Joan said. "See his friends and whatnot. Even though they are first years."

"So long as he's not an annoying little brat," William said, flipping around his claymore. "I should be fine." He quickly sheathed his claymore, and then pulled out his targe {a shield with a spike in the center of it}. He checked the functionality of that, and then placed it on his arm. Spartacus quickly made sure that all of his crystals were good, and then replaced the ones that were empty. He pulled out his trident, and folded it down to size. Joan slung her shield on her back, and then strapped her sword to her side. Leonidas placed his large shield on his back, and then pulled out a small box shape. He unfolded it out into a spear, and then folded it down to a sword. He quickly put it back into it's box shape, and strapped that to his side. They quickly walked down to the cafeteria.

_Cafeteria_

DRGN walked into the cafeteria, and quickly sat with their friends. RWBY was talking very silently about something, and Derek looked over at LOOS and ASSN. He could tell that LOOS was trying to not listen in, while ASSN was doing what they could too listen in. Monica leaned in close to him.

"What are they talking about?" She whispered.

"I'm not playing this game!" Derek replied sternly. Monica nodded, and leaned away from him.

"Mind if we join in?" Someone said from behind them. Derek turned around, and saw the members of team JWLS right behind them.

"Not my place to say," Derek replied. "Jaune?"

"Sure," he said. Jaune quickly moved to the side, and Pyrrha did the same. Joan sat next to him, while the rest of her team sat nearby. ASSN and LOOS just looked at them carefully, while everyone else just resumed eating normally.

"Sooooo," Spartacus said, looking carefully over everyone there. "What's up?"

"Who are you?" Alan asked, his hand resting near his bow.

"Right," Joan said. "Probably should of have done introductions. We're team JWLS. I'm Joan, Jaune's older sister. Over there," she pointed in the direction of the Scotsman, "is William. No relation to Jaune. Then we got the buff guy, and that's Leonidas. The monkey is my partner, Spartacus."

"So you lead them?" Olivia asked.

"That would be my job," Leonidas added in. "We're a team of good leaders, so my position isn't exactly final. Either way, it's a good way to pull rank and get what I want."

"Save the fact that it doesn't work like that anymore laddy," William contributed. "We've all gotten used to the fact that he has no real power over us."

"Sad, but true." Everyone in JWLS laughed, and Jaune nervously joined in. Derek just studied over them carefully. He vaguely remembered Ozpin bragging about how good they were several years ago, and Derek tried to rack his brain for his exact words. _Team JWLS would of have very easily been leaders on separate teams, but Leonidas has a very refined eye for combat. Trust me Derek, in two years, I will do everything in my power to get your team and them together. _Derek continued to eat, and pondered this. _It appears that Joan's younger brother has done your job for you._

"Anyone here watch slave fighting?" Spartacus asked, his tail twitching.

"Slave fighting," Weiss snorted. "What a pointless sport. I don't understand the appeal of mindless slaughter."

"Well," Spartacus said. "I watch it because I have some friends that are somehow still alive." Weiss now dead froze, and Blake looked over at Spartacus carefully.

"I knew I'd seen you before," Blake exclaimed. "You were a big deal in the slave fighting industry."

"Bingo little kitty," Spartacus said, pointing his tail in her direction. Blake stopped, and looked over him carefully. "Your bow doesn't change your smell. I spent every year of my life, for seven years making sure that every aspect of my game was good enough to survive. I think I can sniff out a kitty that hasn't showered in a day."

"Stop calling me kitty," Blake demanded.

"Fine then Ms. Purr."

"Blake."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Blake."

"Well then Blake," Spartacus said, reaching his tail over by her. "Play your cards right, and I might ask you out."

"Back off creep," Yang said. "She's taken."

"Really?" Spartacus asked, kicking his feet up on the table. "By whom?"

"That would be me?" Spartacus smiled.

"Looks like we only share one team, and not two." Yang looked ready to deck Spartacus, but Leonidas held up his hand.

"He says shit like this all the time," Leonidas said. "As does William. In terms of myself and Joan, it wears off." Yang settled down, and Spartacus flicked around his tail.

"And as a faunus, I can't really talk shit about other things in a belittling way." Spartacus resumed eating, while everyone just looked at him.

"Looks like you've dug yourself another hole," William said. Spartacus just shrugged.

"I've dug myself plenty of holes. I've dug myself so many holes, you can call me the grave digger. The only thing, monkey's have incredibly good climbing abilities." Spartacus kept eating, and started to bob his head back and forth. "Anyways," he continued. "There's a big fight coming up. Speculation is that both parties will be allowed to live, with the winner being granted freedom. I've got some blood in this."

"You have family?" Monica asked, looking over at him.

"What? No. I'm a former slave fighter. My family's long dead." He said it in such a casual way, no one was sure how to take it. "Oh for fucks sake people, I've had a lot of time to come to terms with this. Long story short, family died, I was homeless, someone took me and sold me off as a slave fighter. On the brightside, that guy is long dead. Blood is just the term that slave fighter's use since we're forced to live together. Play your cards right, and you can learn every weakness of your opponents. Granted, the variety isn't exactly huge with me. People are just too reliant on the same thing."

"What is that?" Monica asked again, chewing her food slowly, clearly intrigued by what he was saying.

"Semblance. Just way too easy to get around." Everyone tilted their heads out of curiosity.

"Hot shot's semblance is semblance breaker," Joan explained. "He neutralizes his opponents semblance for a period of time. I can't heal, William can't levitate, and Leonidas can't reflect. You'd be surprised at how useful that is."

"I can imagine," Jaune added in.

"Chill out little sunshine," Spartacus said. "It's not a god semblance. There are a lot of people who's entire fighting style revolves around their semblance, and they just stare at me like their up shit creek without a paddle, and I can beat them easily. But people like your dragon friend over there, he doesn't even use a semblance while fighting. I would be the one up shit creek {**A/N**} without a paddle. Then you got people like Joan, who's semblance is just an advanced version of her aura basically. Guess what? Not really that great. Now, I'd love to have the counter part to my semblance. Aura breaker is the one you want. I've only heard of one dude with it though."

"You can certainly talk," Alan said, tossing up the hood of his cloak. "Well, we're headed off. Nice to meet all of you, and good luck with your raging insanity." ASSN left the table, and LOOS just left in silence.

"They seem like a friendly group of people," William added in, taking a swig from his flask.

"William," Leonidas said slowly. "What happens to be in that flask?"

"That would be water." Leonidas gave him a hard stare, and William just shrugged. "It's close enough to water." He took another swig, and checked to ensure it was empty. He tossed his flask over his shoulder, right next to his claymore.

"No matter how many times I tell you, you will continue to sneak alcohol into this school."

"It's not really that sneaky. I buy some, and walk back in with it."

"You two are unbelievable," Joan said. "Three years, this is the third year I've been with you, and you two still amaze me."

"All in a days work for team skirt," William said happily.

"Your sister has a colorful team," Pyrrha whispered to Jaune.

"Tell me about it," Jaune remarked.

"So how are you treating Crocea Mors?" Joan asked suddenly. Jaune froze for a second, and then just nodded.

"Well," he replied. "They're seeing a lot of action."

"Good. I would of have been pissed if you got those, and then mistreated them."

"Uh," Ruby said, raising her hand. "Can you explain this to me?"

"Right," Joan said, sighing deeply. "Crocea Mors is our families weapons. It's been passed down from fighter to fighter. I was too young to hate him for it, but when Jaune was born the rights to Crocea Mors were basically his. I lost out, but I still got my sword and shield. The only difference is that it doesn't fold up into a sheath, which I can live without." She took one more bite, and stood up. "Either your friends are really quiet, or we're really loud. See you around baby bro." Joan left, and the rest of her team trailed.

"So at what point do you get into a fight with him?" Spartacus asked Joan.

"Oh as soon as I can."

**End: A/N: Spartacus is a very vulgar character. As a matter of fact, everyone on JWLS besides Joan is pretty vulgar. Just a warning for the future. Now, I actually have another request. I can promise that Rosanne was not a one off character, but I just realized I don't have a team for her. If you want to give her a team, I'll pick the one I like best and then bring them into the game. Full name {for those looking to her last name as well} Rosanne Vin. Please do teams in a PM and not a review. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	69. Chapter 69

Child of Grimm Ch. 69

**This reminder will be at the beginning of every chapter: Keep your OC's coming, because there really is no cutoff date. And Rosanne's team, my favorite will win out {if I receive any}. I'm going to be honest, this is mostly to save me some work. I already have Rosanne's normal attire, weapon, and semblance picked out.**

Xander put down his weapons, and looked out at his group. They were all ready to square off against the brats, but he still had to address a few things. He quickly picked up his weapons, and left the room. All of the others watched him go, and chose not to question it. Xander worked on his own schedule, and the only thing that ever determined his schedule was what place was available to attack.

Xander walked into the conference room, and looked at Cinder, Adam, and Torchwick.

"What are you doing here?" Torchwick asked.

"I'm here to know exactly what happened to our plan," Xander said. "If it had worked, you were supposed to tell me. Tell me Cinder, did it work?" Cinder shook her head. "Alright, give me a minute to think this through."

"We've already corrected the errors," Cinder said. "The next attempt is about to happen."

"Did it ever occur to anyone to test out their theory before I stepped into the machine?" Adam asked.

"Shut up mask," Xander said. "And let's get going." Adam stood up, and reluctantly walked over to the machine. This time, the plan would work. Everyone had confidence in that.

_Beacon Academy_

Derek looked around his environment. It was just a large, empty, gray building. There was nothing about it that seemed familiar to him. _Where am I? _

"Hello Drake," someone said. Derek turned around, and his stare became angry. "Yes, I knew you'd recognize me," Adam said. "How has life been treating you." Derek blew out a column of flame, and Adam just wasn't there anymore. Derek took a step away from where he was. "What a nice attempt," Adam's voice echoed. "Now, can we speak like civilized people?"

"You didn't design me to be civilized," Derek growled. Adam appeared in front of him, and smiled.

"You are correct. Now, do you know where we are?" Derek shook his head. "We're in your dream of course, the only place we can talk where I am not able to be killed." Derek flicked out his claws, and then looked over at Adam.

"Let's test that theory," he growled.

"Ah, Drake, you know that I am correct. Think of what happened last time we met each other." Derek snarled, but he knew that he was correct. "How has life been treating you?" Adam repeated.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Because we don't have eyes on you at all times. You and Monica are dating now, am I correct in that statement?" Derek didn't reply, and instead he just stared down Adam. "So I am. And you and Blake are close, of that we're sure. And you have taken a vow of protection over Ruby. All of that isn't including the rest of your own team. Interesting for you. What are willing to do to protect them?"

"You can't hurt me," Derek replied confidently.

"Oh no, you are correct. I personally can't hurt you, but that's where money comes into play. Xander can very easily hurt you, not to mention that brute force seems to be what gets to you. Yes Drake, you are not invulnerable, no matter how hard we tried. You're especially vulnerable when we take into account your emotional attachments. You Derek, will be the easiest to break." Derek ran forward, but Adam was already gone when he got there. "Well that was fun," Adam's voice echoed through the room. "But our time is up. Goodbye Derek."

He shot awake, and looked around. His team was up, and just looking at him.

"You okay D?" Gwen asked. It had been a while since he had shot awake like that.

"No," Derek replied. "Adam visited me in my dreams, and he threatened me, threatened all of you."

"He's back in your dreams?" Derek nodded. "Don't let him get in your head. That's got to be the goal of his visit." Derek nodded, but pondered over the visit. _You're not invulnerable, no matter how hard we tried. _This shed some new light on the situation.

"On the equally as cheery note," Nathan said. "Classes start up again soon."

"How is that a bad thing?" Derek asked.

"You're the only one that ever would say stuff like that, you know that D?" Derek nodded. "So long as we're on the same page." Nathan tossed up his axe, and caught it quickly. "Well, I guess it's time for breakfast."

_Hidden Complex_

Adam emerged from the machine, and looked over at the other three.

"It worked," he said. "I visited them."

"Good," Torchwick said. "Your usefulness hasn't yet run out. Who did you get to?"

"Drake and Blake. I started from the top, and the others will come after I get more used to it."

"So long as it gets done and I get paid," Xander said. "I could care less about the time frame."

"The sooner it is the better your pay," Cinder said.

"Then you better hurry up mask, before I decide to take you on an accident."

"Don't worry," Adam said. "I got quite good at this. I'm sure I can manage for a little bit longer."

_Steel Petal_

Adamantite woke up, and sat up in the drivers seat. He had parked Steel Petal in a parking lot, and then waited. He couldn't bring the thug in in time, seeing as of how he had to leave Vale to collect the largest bounty. He looked in the backseat, and saw the thug sleeping peacefully.

"Hey," Adam said. "Wake up." The thug stirred slightly, and Adam just sighed. He pulled out his pistol, and aimed it at his arm. "I suggest you wake up." The thug opened up his eyes slightly, and then he shot awake.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Just making sure you stay up. We're heading out."

"Finally," the thug grumbled. Adam just started to drive, and let him sit in the backseat in silence. "Are we at least almost there?"

"Yup," Adam replied. "Which means I get my pay sooner."

"My employers can double your pay, it really will be no trouble for us."

"Don't do it for the pay," Adam replied, taking a right turn.

"Clearly you do. You obviously have the talents to be a hunter, and yet you chose to be a bounty hunter. Not to mention that we passed three police stations on our way over here, which makes me believe that somewhere else has a larger sum of money. Which means you're clearly lying." Adam violently turned, and the thug was thrown down from his seat.

"Sorry, that corner was a little sharp."

"But you can't deny the facts I've presented." Adam sighed, and kept along the road.

"Money influenced where I take you, and my decision to avoid Beacon. You know what else influenced that decision? The fact that I never attended a combat school. Figured this would be easier, and a lot more rewarding. The drive isn't that bad, and the money more then surpasses the amount I would of have gotten anywhere else. I'm not one to be bought."

"That's unfortunate for you. I know exactly who you are Adamantite Thorn Rose, and I know exactly about your family." Adam once again turned violently, and the thug was thrown again. "It doesn't matter. You know what my employers had me do? Figure out why the Red Reaper was in Vale, and I think I did. Why did you visit Beacon?" Adam slammed on the breaks, and spun around into a parking space. Adam walked out of the car, and opened up the door.

"Get out," he said.

"I can't stand up without assistance."

"You really should of have thought of that before you opened up your mouth." The thug struggled to get out, but he fell out, and landed on his stomach. Adam kicked him in the stomach, and he shakily stood up. Adam placed his hand on the thug's shoulder, and led him to the police station.

"Does your visit have anything to do with specific students?" The thug asked. Adam lowered his hand, and grabbed onto his arm. "Would the right student be Ruby Rose?" Adam quickly broke his arm, and he cried out in pain.

"Oops," Adam said unapologetically. "Guess I'll gave to explain to the cops that you tried to fight back."

"Doesn't matter. It'll only be a matter of time before everything comes together for us." Adam pushed him into the police station, and looked over at the guy in front.

"Name?" He asked boredly.

"Adamantite Thorn Rose," Adam replied. "Or the Red Reaper, I'm bringing someone in to collect a bounty."

"Alright, I'll take him now." The policemen took the thug, and started to lead him off. The police chief showed up shortly after, and handed off a crate of lien to Adam.

"Thanks again Reaper," the chief said.

"It's not like there's no incentive for me," Adam replied.

"Fair, but he's someone we've been interested in for a while." Adam just nodded, and tucked the crate under his arm.

"I'll see you for the next bounty," he said as he started to leave.

"See ya for the next one." Adam walked into his car, and drove off.

_Prison Cell_

"Alright thug," one of the policemen said. "Into the cell."

"Don't I get a phone call?" The thug asked. The policemen sighed, and lead him over to a phone-booth.

"You've got five minutes, and try anything with distance and you'll be locked out of your phone call."

"I got you," the thug replied. The policemen walked away, and the thug dialed a number.

"Hello?" Someone on the other line said.

"Hello, I'm calling about the fact that I'm currently in jail."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. I want to let you know, just in case you wanted to visit."

"I'll see to it. Tell me, payphone?"

"Believe it or not, yes."

"Good. Sending out Junior, the twins, and some other guards for force. ETA should be in about a minute. You're lucky we're not too far off from you."

"Tell me about it."

"Time's up," the policemen said.

"Bye mom," the thug said. The thug hung up, and walked over to his dorm. He lay down, and and started to countdown. 60, 59, 58... Time continued to pass at a slowed rate. 33, 32, 31... He felt it get close, and he could hear the airship.

"What's going on?" The guard asked. He stood up, and looked outside the cell. 15, 14, 13... It was close, and his time was up. 3, 2, 1. The walls to the cell exploded, and the policemen was thrown to the ground. One of Junior's guards walked up, and shot him in the head. Junior and the twins walked in, and looked at his cell.

"Let's go," Junior said.

"Ahem," the thug said. "I can't open up the door." Melanie swung around her shoe into the lock, and then Miltia brought her claws into the gate to open it up. The thug walked out, and stretched.

"I hope you have the info they want," Junior said. "Otherwise, they're going to kill you."

"Don't worry," the thug said. "I not only have the info, but I have confirmation on the info."

"Good. Let's get going."

**End: Bringing it up again, Rosanne, OC's, etc. Questions, comments, follows, and favorites is appreciated.**


	70. Chapter 70

Child of Grimm Ch. 70

**I'm disappointed in myself that I did not make a 69 joke like I was 5 years old for the last chapter. Anyways, OC's are still open {I probably will never close them off} and I've gotten absolutely nothing in way of Rosanne's team. If it gets to the point where she will be reintroduced into the story, I will cut off the acceptance of those.**

Junior and the twins escorted the thug into the conference room, and they quickly tossed him on one of the seats. Cinder looked over him, and just sighed.

"Please tell me you have the info," she said. "Otherwise," Cinder lit a ball of flames in her hand, and just looked over him. "This will be very unpleasant for you."

"Relax," the thug said. "I got the info. The Red Reaper was not here just to collect a bounty. We have reasons to believe that he has some sort of personal connection with Ruby Rose."

"Ruby Rose?" Torchwick asked. "Red would know the Red Reaper."

"Quiet!" Cinder demanded. "Now, how confident are you?"

"Well," the thug began. "When I brought it up, the Reaper broke my arm for mentioning it."

"So very confident. That's good. Xander, find a scenario in which one of the brats will be isolated." Xander smiled, and leaned back in his chair.

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

DRGN quickly joined in with their friends, and Derek continued to try and shake off what had happened. His head was now out of line, and that was starting to bother him. He looked over, and saw Blake with the same look in her eyes. He made eye contact for a brief moment, and they both understood what had happened. The others started on conversations, while Derek ate silently. Blake seemed to join in, and eventually he finished. He quickly stood up, and Blake followed. They both wordlessly left the table, and the others looked on in suspicion. Derek and Blake sat down their trays, and looked at each other.

"He visit you too?" Derek asked. Blake nodded. "That's not good. That means that he's not stopping at me. We need to be prepared for him to visit the others." Blake nodded again, her eyes trailing over to Yang. "He won't hurt us," Derek reassured her. "He designed myself and the other Children of Grimm to be nearly invulnerable, and he succeeded."

"You're still mortal," Blake said. "I've seen people get far with you."

"Those were incidents that will not happen again." Derek looked at his friends, and made his decision. "I'm taking a flight. I need to clear my head a little bit. If you need me, I'll be in the Emerald Forest." Blake nodded, and left to rejoin their friends, while Derek took off into the air.

_Hidden Complex_

Xander's eyes returned to normal, and he sat up.

"What a pleasant belated Christmas gift," he remarked. "It appears that we need to move out, right now."

_Streets of Vale: Steel Petal_

Adam woke up in the back of his car, and he walked outside of it. He briefly stretched out, and then took the passenger seat. He saw a red bar going across the bottom of his scroll, and he opened it up.

"In continued coverage of our breaking news," Lisa Lavender reported. "A low level operative was broken out of prison. All of the policemen were killed, and the station is in rubble." Adam quickly clicked on the link, and then he slammed on the gas pedal.

He got to where he needed to go quickly, and he jumped out. He looked around at the station, and he growled angrily.

"Sir," someone said. He turned to see a policemen standing behind him. "We're going to need you to step away from the scene."

"Fat chance," Adam replied. "I'm the Red Reaper, I'm the one that brought him here." The policemen nodded, and stepped away from him. A change of heart, huh? Adam thought. He walked up to the scene of the crime, and looked over it carefully. It looked like it was nothing more then a massacre. No one was expecting it, except for one person. Adam pulled out Eclipse, and moved very slowly through the scene.

_Emerald Forest_

Derek landed, and pulled out his weapons. One could never be too safe in an environment like this, even though most Grimm left him alone. He kept going along, and just kept his ears in tune for anything. He stopped at one point, and inspected a tree. It had a single burn mark, going across the entire trunk. He traced his hand along it, and then stood up. Something seemed off about the mark. He walked away, and noticed another tree with the same mark. He kept going, and saw several more. _They almost form a pattern. What is this?_

"Look at what I found," a voice said. Derek turned around, and raised up his weapons. He saw Xander, casually leaning against a tree. "It's like a Taituo, only smaller." Derek burned off his clothes, and extended his spikes. "Man, you are a special kind of predictable. Yi." Derek turned in the direction that Xander had spoken to, and then he felt something wrap around him. He quickly identified the object as a lit chain, and then he looked up. He noticed a man wearing a orange robe, and a black sash.

"Fire doesn't effect me," Derek said.

"That's not the point," Yi replied. Derek heard a shot fired off, and he turned to see a woman in full plate armor, with a mace lowered. She fired off another shot, and Derek felt a solid crunch on his scales. He went sailing through the air, and he landed with a thud. Yi pulled away his chain at the right moment, and both of their weapons rested on their shoulders. Derek stood up, and growled angrily.

"Nice try," he said. "But you're going to have to try a lot harder then that." Yi and the girl dove out of the way, and two walls from Hive and Nest slammed into him. Derek went flying back again, and he felt a very similar feeling. He could tell his scales had been weakened. He looked up to see a man with a cloak over his head, and two swords, along with another one in a red and gold robe. The one in the robe raised up a halberd, and then both of them open fired. Derek tried to avoid as much as he could, but some of the shots slammed into him. The other two heard clicks, and they backed up.

"How you feeling now little dragon?" Xander asked, leaning down to where Derek was kneeling. Derek snapped at him, and then Xander jumped back. "That's what I thought. See, I think some introductions are in order. You know me already. The flashy guy that wrapped you up, he's Yi. You got the buff girl that landed a pretty good blow to your chest, she's Ely. Then you got my personal assistant and madman extraordinaire, Vlad. Finally, the bird is Hawk. All of them, are expensive mercenaries."

"Good for you," Derek groaned. _Just a little more time. I can already feel my aura coming back to me. _He lit up his hand, and started to funnel the flames into the hilt of his sword.

"Well, as much as I'd love to fight you. I think that I'll leave it to the more trained fighters. Spikes, Tweety bird, he's all yours." Derek got to his feet as Xander walked away. Vlad raised up his halberd, and Hawk drew his swords. Derek got to his feet, and then raised up his spear and sword.

"Let us begin," Hawk said. He rushed forward and swung both of his swords in an overhead strike. Derek blocked the attack, and the but of the halberd slammed into his stomach. He backed away, and swung around his sword at Hawk. He blocked with one of his swords, and then he fired off a shot. Derek felt the bullet reflect off his armor, and he sighed gratefully. He thrust his spear at Hawk, but Vlad brought his halberd around to deflect it. Derek felt something hit his back, and he stumbled forward. He saw Hawk swing both of his swords in an upward strike, and Derek blocked both of the strikes. He felt his swords meet no resistance, and the blades of Hawk's swords slammed into his head. He flew back, and if it wasn't for his scales he knew he'd be dead. He tried to stand, but found himself almost unable too.

"And so the dragon does have a weakness," Vlad said. "Too bad, I was really enjoying myself." Derek blew out a column of flames, and Vlad and Hawk easily moved out of the way.

"Nice try bud," Hawk said, tossing up his swords. "But your time, is up." Derek looked at his gem, and sensed how full it was. He quickly stabbed it into the ground, and a column of flames erupted towards them. Derek turned around, and extended his wings. He took off into the air, and just hoped that he bought enough time.

Hawk and Vlad stood up, and angrily looked at the sky.

"You idiots!" Xander said. "Open fire!" Xander raised up Hive and Nest, Ely pointed her mace at the sky, Yi raised up a spare rifle, Hawk pointed the barrels of both of his swords at Derek, and Vlad raised up his halberd, and they all open fired.

_Beacon Academy: Team LOOS' Dorm_

Olivia was looking out the window. Her team had all just gotten back from breakfast, and everyone was just pulling out cards. She narrowed her gaze at the sight of something in the distance. She focused in, and saw the silhouette of a Taituo flying straight at them. She cautiously pulled out her sword, but several rounds of dust exploded behind it. She realized something was off, and she narrowed down her gaze even more. Was that Derek? Olivia opened up the window, and turned to her team.

"Call Ozpin," she said. "Tell him that Derek is in trouble over the Emerald Forest."

"What?" Stephen said. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Olivia pushed open the window, and extended her arms. "But I'm going to help." She dove out the window, and raced towards Derek.

_Over the Emerald Forest: Derek_

He swerved out of the way of more dust explosives and dust rounds. _Almost hit again. I need to pick up the pace. _A bullet grazed across his back, and his altitude lowered. He quickly picked it up again, and just avoided another wave of explosives. _I can't keep this up for much longer. But the least damaged part of me is my wings right now. I have no choice._

"DRAKE!" Someone yelled out. Derek looked in front of him, and he saw Olivia flying over by him. "MOVE!" Derek slowly flew to the side, and Olivia let loose a torrent of feathers. All of the feathers made contact with the explosives, and Olivia let out a scream to alter the course of the bullets. She kept up a line of defense that was strong enough for Derek to keep going.

_Emerald Forest: Mercenary Team_

Another wave of explosives exploded, and Xander couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Spike, Tweety Bird," Xander called out. "What the hell is going on?" Vlad looked down his sights, while Hawk narrowed his gaze.

"It's one of the Grimm hybrids," Hawk said. "The Nevermore." Xander growled, and lowered his weapons.

"Fun's up guys," Xander said. "Let's get out of here before the others."

"We have him where we want him," Yi said. "Let's finish him off."

"Listen flash, we have everyone else coming at us. We've already used a lot of ammo, and they'll outnumber us. There is no scenario where we win." Xander walked over to their parked airship, and the others reluctantly followed.

_Outside of Beacon_

Derek almost plummeted to the ground, but he managed to just land safely. The rest of his team, friends, Ozpin, and Roxanne all ran over to where he was.

"Derek?" Monica asked. "Derek, stay up buddy, come on."

"I'll live," Derek groaned. "But I'm not returning to active duty very soon." Roxanne started to heal him up, and Derek just continued to groan. Olivia landed shortly behind him, and pointed off in the distance.

"I lost sight of them," Olivia said. "It looks like they took off in an airship, but I really didn't get a good look at him."

"Derek," Ozpin said. "Can you tell me what you saw?"

"Xander," Derek groaned. "And some others. Yi, Ely, Vlad, and Hawk were their names. They took me by surprise, and they fought me almost perfectly."

"Five on one isn't exactly a fair fight, even taking into account your strength. Really, it's a miracle you're still alive." Derek groaned again, and Roxanne stood up.

"He's pretty badly damaged," Roxanne said. "We need to keep him in the hospital. Honestly, this is worse condition then before. He's missing several scales all over him, the broken off bones aren't growing back, and every scale on his chest is hurt. His armor is the only reason that his scales are still on him in the front."

"Understood," Ozpin said. "Get a stretcher. LOOS, help him onto the stretcher." Derek weekly looked over, and saw the stretcher that was out.

"Not necessary," Derek said. "I've got this." Derek tried to stand up, but he groaned again and fell over. "Okay, you can help me on."

"And so the dragon admits it," Stephen said.

"Shut up Scorpio." Stephen gently grabbed his right arm, and then placed his claw underneath his back. Lou grabbed his right arm and the right side of his back, and helped him sit up. Orion and Olivia grabbed his legs, and gently lifted him onto the stretcher.

_Airship_

Xander pulled out his scroll, and called Cinder.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey boss," he said. "Would you mind telling me why we weren't informed of his sword's abilities?"

"What?"

"Yeah, he has an empty fire crystal. He filled it with energy, and got away."

"So he beat you?"

"No. He ran away from us. We had him pinned down, and we almost got him. There is one good thing though, he won't be getting away from us again."

**End: Big stuff, and a couple of things. I still have nothing for Rosanne's team {once again, I have weapons, semblance, and attire selected}. I am very surprised at the sheer amount of OC's I have gotten, and just keep them coming. I updated my profile for some stuff, so look at what my status {or whatever it's called} is just for other info. Other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	71. Chapter 71

Child of Grimm Ch. 71

**Another reminder {as these will be at the beginning and end of every chapter} OC's are still being accepted. There's a couple that I'm trying to work in, and one that I'm very excited to get the final details on. Rosanne's team, I'm putting a timer for by Saturday {which is in three days} I'll just make my own. PM's, not reviews.**

Adam kept along the road, and just slammed his head into the steering wheel. He was incredibly frustrated. He had done all but tell the thug that Ruby and him shared a strong personal connection. He was not going to lose her, not after their parents. But what were the odds that Ruby was his sister? He had already contacted the Rat, but he had turned up empty handed. If the Rat was unconfirmed, then what were the chances that they shared a traceable past? Regardless, he would do what he could to protect them. He drove out front of Beacon, and exited his car. It was time to speak with Ozpin.

_Beacon Academy: Medical Ward_

"I must admit Derek, you have the quickest aura regeneration that I've seen," Roxanne explained to him. Derek was once again, stuck in the hospital, with several machines attached to him. Roxanne had been carefully restoring his aura and physical pieces, but it was a fairly slow process. Luckily, it seemed like Derek was coming along quickly. "I've only ever seen one other person with an aura like this, and that was several years ago."

"Who?" Derek asked, his hand resting on his chest.

"Not my place to say, but I'm sure that Ozpin told you about with his arrival to the school initially." {**A/N**} Derek nodded, and leaned back in his bed. He sighed deeply, and concentrated his aura down to his back. He felt some of the scales come back, and soon Roxanne held up her hand. "I suggest you don't push yourself anymore, you're only just in the yellow. If you go any lower, I can't heal you." Derek nodded again, and leaned his head back again. The door to the medical bay opened up, and his team walked into the room.

"Derek," Monica said. "We got you some stuff." She set down a small bundle, and jumped into a bed nearby. Derek looked expectingly at Roxanne, and she shrugged.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'll explain. Your entire team is allowed to stay with you. Plus, I don't get a whole lot of action during the break. I keep seeing that Cardin kid about broken bones. He just doesn't know how to take care of himself."

"Or he just picks the wrong fights," Derek contributed. Roxanne looked over at him, and shrugged.

"So if other people come in to visit, they're allowed to stay." As if on cue, the door opened up and team RWBY walked into the room.

"Derek!" Blake said quickly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Derek replied. "Still not operating at what I'd like too, but I'm definitely on the right path."

"That's good to hear," Yang added in. She sat next to Blake, who had taken a seat next to Monica.

"You get a look at who did this to you?" Ruby asked. Derek nodded. "Who was it?"

"I believe we are all intrigued to hear about that," someone else added in. Everyone looked behind them, to see that Adamantite Rose had just entered the room. "Hello again," he greeted. "Ozpin said that Ruby was here. What's going on in here?" He looked cautiously at Derek, seeing just how badly he was hurt. _Very rarely do people stare at me because of the damage I have sustained._

"I believe that you should be best suited to identify them, Red Reaper," Derek said.

"Just call me Adam."

"No. That name doesn't exactly occupy a warm spot in my heart. I will most likely continue to refer to you as Adamantite, or Red Reaper. Nothing personal." Adam just shrugged. "Now, the names of the people are Xander, Vlad, Ely, Yi, and Hawk. Ring any bells?" Adam shook his head, and smiled.

"It's a miracle you got out of that fight alive," he said. "Five of the highest priced mercenaries out there. I saw their names pop up on my bounty list again. They only come up if someone gets word they're working for the wrong people, and I'm guessing that they're doing so now. I should of have pursued them, and not the thug."

"What thug?" Yang asked, her mind recalling Junior.

"Just some low level thug that had a connection with Junior. It was a lot of money to bring him in, so I took advantage of it. He was broken out of prison earlier today. He knows that I have some form of connection with Ruby, and I think he plans to exploit it for a higher position."

"Can you slow down for just a second," Nathan said. "First, who the hell are you?"

"Right, didn't meet the hybrids team."

"Can we please stop using that word?" Derek asked, from his bed. "Seriously, just call me Derek, or hell even Drake's better then hybrid."

"Whatever. Anyways, my name is Adamantite. I'm a bounty hunter, and a friend of Ruby's."

"Ruby has friends outside of here?" Gwen asked. "Why does that surprise me? Wait, how old are you?"

"Twenty." Gwen studied him carefully, and walked over to Derek.

"Is there any other connection between them other then friends?" She whispered into his ear.

"Why are you asking me?" Derek replied. Gwen shrugged, and rejoined Nathan. "Anyways, what can you tell me about the others, apart from Xander."

"Well," Adam said, brushing off his cloak. "Vlad Impali is reported to be a crazy merc. I've tried to hunt him down, but he's one step ahead of everyone. His signature is impaling bodies and leaving out for display. People like him for his usefulness as a psychological edge."

"Never can be underestimated," Gwen contributed.

"Right. You said Ely. I'm guessing you mean Ely Swift, though why that's her name is beyond me. She's nothing but brute force, but her technique is quite good."

"I experienced both of those for myself," Derek added in.

"You also said Yi. I only know of one Yi in the game, and he's a pretty fresh face. I've heard tales about his effectiveness with Dragon's Tongue, a whip chain that can't be broken. Finally, you said Hawk. There is only one person that bothers to take that name, mostly because the others are dead. The Hawk is one of the most dangerous people you can know. For the right price, he's your friend. Make the wrong enemy, and he's suddenly your worst nightmare. You certainly know how to pick them."

"They picked me, remember? I'm the hybrid. Believe it or not, I didn't get a say in what I became." Adam shrugged, but didn't seem to mind all that much.

"Regardless, we have a pretty big issue. Five of the most dangerous mercenaries on the market, all of them working under the same name. I know a couple of guys that might be able to help, but they're generally busy. That leaves me with limited options for bounty hunters that are willing to help."

"I'm not too concerned," Derek said. "So long as we travel together, or we stay within Beacon, we're fine. I'm more concerned about you. You're the one roaming free."

"I can take care of myself," Adam replied, pulling up the hood of his cloak. "I'm going to see what I can do in way of bounties. There has to be some people that are willing to take them on and split the bounty. Actually..." He smiled to himself. "I think he might be coming back later on, but I have someone in mind. Good seeing you again." Without another word, Adam left the room.

"Well," Nathan said. "That was interesting."

"He's an interesting guy," Ruby said, trying to play off the face that they knew each other. "I wonder who he meant when he said that he had an idea of someone."

"I'm just concerned with getting out of here," Derek said. "There is no way that Cinder's group can be strong enough to get to Beacon. We'll just have to be a little more cautious." Everyone nodded, and just thought about it. Five of the most dangerous mercenaries, Adam had said. That left very little room for error.

_Hidden Complex_

Xander jumped out of the airship, and immediately walked over to the conference room. He swung the door open, and faced everyone else.

"You failed to bring the dragon down," Cinder said immediately. "We're disappointed."

"I may not of have killed the brat, but I got him down to near death," Xander replied. "Plus, I clearly beat him, something that everyone other idiot under your employment has failed to do."

"Hey," Bush said. "I defeated him."

"Of course you did, but you just lost when you were with other people to confirm it." Bush drew his sword, and leveled it at Xander's throat.

"I suggest you be careful about what you say now, madman." The sound of several firearms being raised could be heard, and then Bush looked around to see Yi, Ely, Vlad, and Hawk with their firearms raised at him.

"A team is always beneficial, swordsman," Xander spat. He pushed away the blade, and walked over to his chair. "Now, are we continuing forward with the Adam Dream Invasion thing?"

"Of course," Cinder said. "It worked once, so why wouldn't it work again?"

"Touche." Xander spun himself around in his chair, and thought over some things. "What are we doing with that one idiot? The one who was captured?"

"He'll be operating from here from now on. I wish to keep my eye on him, for he has useful information. Which brings me to my next point, the Reaper."

"You want us to take care of him?"

"No, too direct. I say we let Junior and Torchwick lead the way, teach him a strong lesson."

"Ma'am," Bush said. "I would like to participate in the attack."

"Any particular reason Bush?"

"Yes. It has been a while since I've been out in the field."

"Fine. Bush, Junior, and Torchwick will go after the Reaper. Twins, you'll lead a dust heist. Hopefully he'll be too distracted to deal with us."

**End: Once again, OC's, Rosanne's team, other questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	72. Chapter 72

Child of Grimm Ch. 72

**Someone called out the A/N I left {or didn't leave}. It was nothing much, just wanted to say that I may or may not work that person into the story. Depends on whether or not I feel it to be appropriate. Yeah, no reason, I literally just fucked up and didn't leave it.**

"And that should do it," Roxanne exclaimed. "You should be completely healed." Derek stood up, and cautiously moved around. He felt the seals for his scales, and nodded approvingly.

"Thanks again Roxy," Derek said. She shook her head at the compliment.

"Just my job, no other compliments are necessary." Derek nodded, and quickly said his goodbyes. He walked back to his dorm, and rejoined his team.

"So they're letting you out early?" Nathan said.

"Not actually," Derek replied. "I got out when I healed, and I happened to heal quickly."

"Yeah, what's up with that?"

"Don't know. I guess that maybe the other Grimm and myself all received it somehow, though, I don't actually understand why that would be the case."

"May I way in?" Gwen asked. Derek gestured for her to continue. "Well, it's notoriously difficult to kill a large Grimm. Well, you're based off of a large Grimm. The already powerful Grimm nature combined with a strong enough aura to survive the event has made it hard to kill you." Derek nodded, and gently took off the remaining bandages. "You came back just in time too, we start classes tomorrow."

"Prepare to bask in our misery," Nathan said, stretching out his arms.

"Don't care," Derek said. "The only classes I dislike are Grimm studies and history. I'm just too familiar with both of the subjects. What is our classes tomorrow anyway?"

"That would be sparing," Monica added in, quickly flipping around her spear. "A nice and easy day for us."

"Who is scheduled to fight tomorrow?"

"I think there's a few teams. ASSN is finally going to step up, against some team I've never heard of. We square off against RWBY again."

"Not a whole team on one again?" Monica grinned at the memory.

"How did you beat us anyways?"

"Easy, you played to my strengths. Ice, direct attacks, one on one, everything that you can't do when facing me." Monica nodded, and briefly tried out her necklace again. Derek could feel the atmosphere light up with electricity, and he sighed deeply. "Do you have to do that in an enclosed environment?"

"To annoy you guys, yes."

_Hidden Complex_

Bush stared down the four swordsman that were facing him, and he carefully leveled it. The first one ran at him, and Bush easily parried the strike. He quickly swung around the flat of his blade into their stomach, and then brought his hilt into his head. The next one attacked at him, and Bush jumped out of the way. He swung around the flat of his blade into the back of her head, and then landed safely. The other two ran at him at the same time, and Bush easily reflected both of their strikes. He quickly disarmed one, and then threw her into the other swordsman. They both fell over, and Bush flipped around his sword, and sheathed it. He heard a slow clap in the distance, and Bush turned around.

"Well done Bush," Torchwick said, walking forward with his cane. "You can take on four mediocre swordsman at the same time, very well done."

"There are no other swordsman," Bush said.

"Then stop fighting that way," Torchwick replied, starting to lean against a wall. "You're fighting a dragon, and not a swordsman." Bush shrugged, and raised up his sword.

"Fighting other swordsman is the best way to train. Those that can match you blow for blow in an honorable fight, those are the ones that will improve you. It is all about-."

"Stop!" Torchwick said, raising up his cane. "I can already see you being an issue. I understand why we use you, but you need to change your mindset." Torchwick started to walk away. "You're the only one who'll fight with honor, I suggest you adjust accordingly." He suddenly tossed a small package behind him, and Bush snatched it out of mid-air. He unrolled it, and twisted around the new sword. It looked no different to him, but something felt strange. He pressed down on the hilt, and the sword started to glow. He swung it around, but nothing felt different. He looked back at the package, and found two gloves. He pulled them out, and tried them on. He flexed them around, and they felt no different from his normal swordsman gloves. He tested a theory, and clicked on the sword again. He flipped around his sword, and found it moving at an accelerated pace. He jumped up, and found himself moving faster. He checked his scroll, and saw that his aura was being effected by it. He checked the gloves, and found several dust crystals. Accelerator gloves, and a sword that could match it. This was Torchwick's proposition. He realized how correct he was, and it wasn't like he was using a gun blade. This was just an enhancement of his natural abilities, and he could live with that advantage. He stepped over to the open practice area, and started to work on his new technique.

Torchwick watched on, and smiled. Bush Ido was more then a qualified swordsman, and now he had an advantage. When Torchwick looked at the people that would accompany him on the fight against Red Reaper, it was more then likely it would be his job to get into the fight. Torchwick was good, but Roses Eclipse was just too large of a blade, and Junior certainly wasn't a fighter. That being said, both of them used explosive weapons, but Cinder wanted him alive. Bush couldn't of have hoped to keep up with the Reaper and his semblance, so he gave him a boost.

_Xander's Room_

He kicked up his boots on the table, and leaned back in his chair. He quickly closed his eyes, and pulled out a dust crystal. It was time to check on this trick. He opened up his eyes, and saw an image of probabilities displayed in front of him. He quickly started to sort through the numbers, and just nodded at some of them. He quickly zoomed in on some of them, and frowned. If they got to the Reaper, it still looked like Adam would be the one to tilt the odds in their favor. That dream machine was really going to play a big roll in their plans. Xander closed it out, and set down the reflective crystal. Someone knocked on his door, and he sighed.

"What?" He barked.

"It's your team," Hawk's voice replied. "Let us in."

"It's not locked." The door opened up, and the other four mercenaries walked in. "What do you want?"

"Well," Yi said. "We've been taking down low level hunter bases, which is clearly illegal."

"Yeah?"

"Well, we're mercenaries, not criminals."

"Flash, you're new at this thing, let me explain something. You've got some people, like me, Tweety, muscles, and spikes, who've all been in this thing for a while. We simply offer our services for a clear record, and then get on our way."

"But we're killing hunters."

"And? I can't count the amount of hunters I've killed, and I was always a free man. That being said, you do raise a good point." Xander pulled out his scroll, and checked his personal feed to the underground of bounty hunters. He found who he wanted, and let his grin show. "Wonderful. He's not employed. Flash, you're going to get a lesson on how to roam the underground from a professional."

"You can't be serious?" Hawk asked. "He's too pricey for our employers to add on his pay."

"Cinder somehow has a lot of money. I think it's from the Schnee Company raids, and some other more personal contracts. Anyway, he's one of the kings of the underground. No better person to bring in. If we succeed in this contract, then we won't have to worry about things anymore. All we'll have to worry about, is who's going to pay us more. After all, we're mercenaries, right?"

"Who are you talking about?" Yi asked, slightly concerned. Xander just pulled out his scroll, and called up Cinder.

"Yes?" Her voice came through.

"Hey boss," he said. "Someone just became available on the market."

"Who?"

"The King of the Underground Circuit, the Toolman, Mr. Utilities."

"I understood you at King of the Underground Circuit. Is he really available?"

"Why would I lie about him? What do ya say?" There was a long period of silence, and Xander's confidence never once faltered.

"Hire him," she finally replied. "Give him the normal pay, and prepare a small bonus as added incentive. The Toolman will begin to work for us." Xander smiled, and hung up the scroll. He left his room, and the rest of his team trailed. He picked up the case from one of the guards, and entered the airship.

_The Main Lab_

Cinder put away her scroll, and just leaned back in her chair. So the Toolman just became a potential asset, how wonderful. She looked over, and saw Adam waiting patiently.

"Oh you know what to do," Cinder said. "Get in the machine, and visit someone."

"Who?" Adam asked. "The list isn't exactly small."

"Try to get around RWBY and LOOS this time, focusing mostly on RWBY. We need to get this started." Adam nodded, and lay down on the bed. One of the scientists flipped a switch, and Adam closed his eyes.

_Beacon Academy: RWBY's Dorm_

Ruby was in an empty room. Something about it felt off, unnatural.

"Hello again Ruby," a voice echoed. Ruby turned, and saw Adam Taurus waiting there.

"Where are we?" She asked immediately.

"In your dreams, a realm that gives us limitless possibilities, and one of those is the ability to talk in peace. How are you feeling?" Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, but it wasn't there anymore. "Ah, I took that away from you. Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with the Reaper?"

"I know him," Ruby said angrily. "Why?"

"Oh, all of us so dislike it when you lie to us. Remember what I did to your mother." Ruby ran at him, and Adam just vanished. "Tsk, tsk, that won't work. I planed for quite a bit Ms. Rose." Adam suddenly stopped, and smiled at her. "Adamantite Thorn Rose, of course. I should of have seen it earlier."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No? Perhaps the word brother rings a bell with you?" Ruby now backed away from him, and Adam grinned cruelly. "So I have it. I'll be seeing you and your brother very soon Ruby."

Ruby shot awake, and panted heavily. Weiss and Yang both did the same very shortly after, and Blake remained asleep. Ruby looked around at them, and she realized something. Adam had probably visited all of them, which meant that he was becoming very good at what he did.

**End: Whoooooo is this unknown team and whooooo is the Toolman? Myself and a few others might know {=]}. Do want to clarify something, Rosanne is not the healer, that is Roxanne. Someone thought I meant Roxanne, so just want to clarify if anyone is confused. OC's, questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	73. Chapter 73

Child of Grimm Ch. 73

**Some stuff is going to happen, Rosanne's team, OC's, etc.**

Adamantite kept along the road. He was fast approaching his destination, and he was getting anxious. He may of have been old friends with him, but that didn't guarantee his cooperation. The thing that he had going for him was the always increasing bounties on the others. Either way, the Rat had finally turned up some info on him and Ruby. He was almost positive that Ruby and Adam were siblings, but that only made him more concerned. After losing his parents, he never wanted to lose family again. He was also disappointed that he hadn't yet gotten a chance to hang out, let her see his easy going nature. So far, he'd been business, business, and business. He quickly pulled in outside of the club, and got out of his car. He checked to make sure that Roses Eclipse was secured to his side, and then he stood up.

Adam opened up the door, and pulled up his hood. He looked around at the patrons. Most of them were drinking, or playing games, but there was a small crowd gathered around one of the tables. They all were speaking in amazement over whatever was going on, and Adam knew he had the right person. He parted the crowd, and saw a man sitting sitting at a table. He wore a black hat with a white band going around it, an ace tucked away in it. He had purple eyes, and he wore a bright smile. He had on a long, white coat, with black fur on the exposed inside of it. He wore a purple shirt, with the letters _AC _on it, and a skull just above them. His coat went down to his feet, highlighting his black pants. He wore a pair of purple boots to accompany them. Everyone was marveling at what he was doing, and Adam just let out a small chuckle. He had a deck of cards in his hand, and every card was surrounded by a faint purple glow. They were moving up, down, in a small circle, and in a straight line in the air. Adam just watched, and waited for his finale.

Someone stumbled forward, and slammed his hand down on the table.

"You must be joking," he said. "No one can do that." The man looked up at him, and kept up his smile.

"You've clearly never heard of a semblance," he replied.

"Like someone with a semblance would ever be here." The man stopped his cards mid-air, and they shuffled themselves into a deck. Three cards came out front, and the magic man smiled.

"Pick a card," he said simply.

"What?"

"You have three cards, pick one." The man angrily pointed to the one in the middle, and he reshuffled the cards again. He quickly showed one card, and Adam craned his head to see it. "Is this your card?" It was a picture of a man going through a window.

"What? No. I had a queen of hearts." The card suddenly tilted on it's side, and violently shot forward. The man went flying forward, and he crashed through the window. Everyone just watched on in shock, and then the crowd slowly filtered out.

"What? No tip?" The man asked. Adam saw his chance, and took a seat across from him. "Ah, so the Red Reaper is kind enough to stop by."

"How could I resist the chance to meet the Trickster?" Adam countered. They both stared at each other for a long time, and then they both started to laugh.

"It's good to see you Adamantite Rose," Trickster said.

"As it is good to see you Alex Burakku," Adam replied.

"Alright buddy, you don't make many personal visits. What are we talking?"

"Five mercs," Adam began. "All of them dangerous and high priced." Alex had already started to float around his cards again. "All of them working for one person." Now Alex stopped the cards. "Xander Scars, Yi Liu-Wong, Ely Swift, Vlad Impali, and the Hawk. They hold the five highest bounties on the market right now."

"Then I know where not to go," Alex said. "Thanks buddy."

"No, I'm here to request your aid." Alex started to move around the cards again.

"I know that you're the Red Reaper, and I'm the Trickster, two of the best bounty hunters on the market right now. But these five together, it doesn't get much worse. Why should we intervene? We're working for a paycheck, not a tombstone."

"Alex, someone I care about is in question here." Alex froze the cards, and they assembled into a deck again. "I may have a sister, and she's in the line of fire for this."

"Then we help." Alex stood up, and pulled out his scroll. He coughed slightly at seeing the bounties placed on them. "Holy shit man, what have they done to get that high?"

"Don't know, but we need to be cautious. You know that hybrid we've been hearing about?" Alex nodded. "He'll be assisting us."

"Good to know we have some fire power." He placed down some lien on the table, and walked outside. Adam jumped into Steel Petal, while Alex pulled out a purple and black motorcycle.

"New ride?" Adam asked.

"Yup," Alex replied. "Brought down a small criminal syndicate, and they paid well enough to get me this motorcycle. I call it the Black Ace." Adam closed the door to his car, and Alex fired up his bike. "Where too?" Alex called out.

"Don't know," Adam replied. "Figured we'd see what leads we can get."

"The Rat?"

"The Rat."

_Criminal Underground_

The five mercenaries walked around the underground, looking for the one they wanted. Most of them were stopped several times for contract offers, but they all had to decline. They knew that they had to spend a long time with their current contract, and they just didn't take anything. The five of them kept along, until Xander stopped them.

"I see him," Xander said. Everyone swung their gaze in the direction he was looking. They saw a man with lightly tanned skin. He had greasy black hair, and brilliant amber eyes. His eyes were blackened, as were his wrists. He wore a black trench coat, that partially concealed a gray vest and white shirt, that appeared to be made of silk, though Xander knew that the material was as strong as reinforced steel. He wore dark green cargo pants, and a pair of greaves over some black boots. He also had on pair of black gauntlets. They managed to catch sight of a harness, that held a black and violet spear, grappling hook, smoke grenades, and flashbangs.

"I can see why they call him the Toolman," Yi remarked.

"You don't know him?" Hawk asked. Yi shook his head. "Well, the Toolman is considered the best merc out there, and he expects to be paid like it. Assassinations, robberies, combat support, you name it, he does it. That spear, Belladonna's Spite. Rumor is he has some sort of dispute with somebody, and he named his spear after it. It absorbs dust and transfers it into toxic gas when he wants it too. It can also shift into a long barrel revolver with a bayonet."

"Really?"

"Yes really, it's a short spear after all. Anyway, he also has Hades Fruits. That's his greaves and gauntlets. The gauntlet holds fire dragon rounds, and it can work like a pair of claws. The greaves hold air rounds for mobility. Everything else is pretty self explanatory."

"That's a lot of equipment, which means a lot of maintenance."

"He can afford it," Ely remarked.

"Ahem," Vlad cleared his throat loudly. "If you are done chatting, I believe we have a man to hire."

"I was explaining to him why it's imperative that he get on his good side," Hawk said.

"Doesn't matter to me," Xander remarked. "If flash gets killed, then we can split his pay among us and him." Yi gulped a little nervously, but the other four walked forward confidently.

The five of them slowly walked up behind him, seeing as of how he was in the middle of a conversation.

"Hello Xander," he said without turning. "It's good to see you again."

"Ginseng," Xander said, in a mad happy way. "Haha, you're back in action."

"I was never out of action, I simply took a contract to clear the prior one. You are not one for personal visits Mr. Scar, and who are your friends?" The other four seemed a little weary, especially since Ginseng hadn't turned yet. He finally faced them, and carefully studied over them. "So I see. The Hawk, Vlad Impali, Ely Swift, and you." He leaned in close to Yi. "You're new here. Yi Liu-Wong, the best fresh face that there is. I must say, this isn't the normal company you keep."

"Oh, but Mr. Eihenjar, I keep the company of those that pay me, or those that are being paid to be with me." Ginseng nodded.

"So is that why you're here?" Xander nodded. "Who's buying?"

"A woman by the name of Cinder. I think you'll find that the whole operation is quite stable."

"Pay?" Xander held out his hand, and Vlad handed him a case. Xander gave the case to Ginseng, who quickly opened it up. He smiled widely at the numbers.

"That's on a weekly basis, and just in case you weren't convinced." Xander tossed over a smaller case, and Ginseng opened it up as well. He looked over at Xander, his eyes full of excitement and questions. "That's just a signing bonus, none of us got one. Needless to say, Cinder knows who the King of the Underground is, as do all of us."

"What about you, Yi?" Ginseng asked. "What do you think of me?"

"Well," Yi began. "I'm smart enough to listen to what your reputation is and understand how good it is, but I'm also smart enough to question it until I see your results." Ginseng let out a laugh.

"You are certainly new here. In the Underground, you are exactly as your reputation is. I have never failed a contract, and I don't intend too. I believe it is time that you learn from the Toolman, or King, or just Ginseng. Three things are important as a merc, ability, willingness to turn a blind eye, and presentation. I suggest that you learn to posses all three. So, where are we off too?" Xander just smiled.

"Follow me, and you'll find out," he replied.

_The Rat's Nest_

Adamantite and Alex both walked into the bar, and took seats across from the Rat.

"My two bounty hunters," the Rat greeted. "What do ya need?"

"Info," Adam said immediately. "On five mercenaries."

"Who exactly?"

"Xander Scars, Vlad Impali, the Hawk, Ely Swift, and Yi Liu-Wong." The Rap pulled out his scroll, and started to look through the names.

"Hm," he said.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Well, Mr. Trickster, it appears that a deal was just made."

"Deal?" Adam asked, now very concerned. "What deal?"

"According to my informants in the Underground, it was between those five and the King."

"The King? Please tell me there's another King."

"King of the Underground, the Toolman, Ginseng Eihenjar, he's now working with them." Adam and Alex leaned their heads back, and let out a groan. "If you want, I can look into everything else, for an ongoing price." The two bounty hunters looked at each other, and slowly nodded. "Alright, I'll call you when I have something."

"Thanks Rat," Alex said. "We'll be in touch."

_Hidden Complex: A while later_

Cinder was waiting in the conference room. She had already received good news from Adam, as he had been able to hop from team RWBY's dreams to LOOS', with some time to spare. He had promised that next time, he should be able to get around to everyone. Now, all she knew was that Xander was returning. She had no insight as to whether or not he had gotten the Toolman to join them. With most cases, she would guess that they had gotten him and that Xander was being dramatic, but the issue was with Xander. One could never be sure that it wasn't just a sign of insanity with Xander. She saw her scroll light up, and she quickly checked it.

_Training room, now._

Cinder stood up, and gestured for two of the guards to trail her.

Upon arriving at the training room, she saw Torchwick, Adam, the twins, Junior, and Bush gathered around the mercs.

"What is it?" Cinder asked impatiently.

"Just a brief greeting," someone else said. The mercs parted, and in the middle was a very well geared man. "Hello Cinder," he said. "Or should I say, my new employer."

"That must mean you're the Toolman, Ginseng Eihenjar, the King of the Underground."

"I have been called all of those things, and many more. I know that you wish to hire me, but this is my first time working with you. I wish to give a proper demonstration of my abilities."

"I like your style. Do we have it setup?"

"Yes ma'am," one of the guards said. "The standard, 10 Beowolves." Cinder nodded, and all of the other mercs walked away from him. Ginseng stretched out, and poised himself to fight.

The cages opened up, and Ginseng tossed a flashbang in the middle of them. It went off, and all of the Beowolves were temporarily blinded. Ginseng quickly pulled out Belladonna's Spite, and switched it down to it's revolver form. He fired off a shot, and took off one of the Beowolves heads. He fingered one of his smoke grenades, and fired off another shot at the Beowolves. He took down one more, and then the others regained their senses. The Beowolves ran at him, and Ginseng tossed down a smoke grenade. While he was cloaked in the smoke, he fired off his grappling hook, and pulled himself up. He looked down at the Beowolves, and picked one out. He jumped down from his position with the grappling hook, and fired off several air rounds from Hades Fruits, propelling himself to the Beowolf he selected. He brought the blade of the bayonet into it's head, and quickly changed it into it's spear form. He swung around his spear into one of the Beowolf's, and then threw it at another. One of the Beowolves landed a blow to his chest, and he smiled. He felt it was high time that they witnessed the strength of his shirt. He quickly fired off a shot from his gauntlets, and the force of the flaming round took out one of the Beowolves. He quickly fired off another round, and took down one more Beowolf. He clicked a switch on his gauntlets, and blades extended from the edges of them. He ran forward, and slid down to them. He quickly swung around the blades into their stomachs, and the two Beowolves fell over. Before the final one could account for where he was, Ginseng fired off a round from his greaves, launching himself into the air. He swung his claws in a crossing pattern, and shredded the last Beowolf. The others watched on in awe, and Cinder decided it was appropriate to speak.

"Effective," she said. "Efficient, strong, and worth every penny. I'm looking forward to working with you Ginseng."

"As am I," Ginseng replied. "As, am, I."

**End: Alright, time to get around to a few shoutouts. First one goes to the creator of Alex Barraku, Riddler Fish. The second one goes to the creator of Ginseng Eihenjar, Haos Serpent Blade-Azure Fang. The first two OC's from the open thing that I held to get introduced. There's a picture of Alex in existence, but I'm too lazy to link it so go to my twitter for it {Codyknight22}. OC's, questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	74. Chapter 74

Child of Grimm Ch. 74

**YES! I have 69 followers! I'm so mature. Anyways, I checked out the most favorited and followed OC stories to read something, and I'm in first for favorites and second in followers {only trailing Of Monsters and Artifacts}! I am really surprised, and thank you to everyone for supporting this story, and leaving reviews, and leaving OC's. That being said, today is the final day for Rosanne's team. Here we go.**

Adamantite and Alex pulled up their vehicles outside of the bar, and walked up to it.

"You sure this is it?" Alex asked.

"Of course," Adam replied. "The Rat said that Junior used to reside here, so now we see what's become of it. Get ready, it's time for a magic show." Alex nodded, and straightened out the brim of his hat, and he checked the ace that was tucked away. Adam pulled up his hood, and made sure that his hair concealed his crimson eye. They both opened up the doors, and walked inside.

Alex and Adam immediately separated, and walked off into their own areas. Adam setup near the far side of the bar, and he kept a close eye out for anything. Nothing. He didn't see anyone that would look like a successor to Junior, and that troubled him. Alex had setup on the other end, and he was trying to draw him out. He started to flip around his cards, showing off his semblance. As usual, a small group assembled nearby him. They all marveled as he tossed around the cards, and soon, some of the guards started to become interested in him. They walked over by him, and demanded him to do certain tricks. Alex started assembling images, such as knives, dogs, and anything else that struck his audience's fancy.

Finally, someone walked up with a small group of people around them. Adam focused in his gaze, and studied over him. He wore a black suit, red tie, and a black hat. Everyone that surrounded him wore a red suit, black tie, and red hats. It seemed odd to him, but that must of have been a way to distinguish himself as the leader. He walked over to Alex, and pulled up a seat. Everyone that was near where he chose to sit quickly parted, only confirming what Adam thought.

"You need a refill?" The bartender asked, pointing to his Corona. Adam nodded, and he left to get another one.

Alex tossed up the cards, and quickly formed a flower. The man in the black suit watched on, clearly impressed by the events.

"You have a good control over your semblance," he remarked. "You are a mercenary?"

"Something like that," Alex replied, forming up a crystal shape. "What's your interest?"

"I run this place," he replied. Adam tilted his head a little lower to conceal his smile.

"Really?" Alex asked, sounding somewhat surprised. "I thought a man named Junior ran here?"

"He did, and he still technically does. But in his absence, he needed someone to replace him." Alex flipped around his cards again, and shuffled them into a deck. "What?"

"I was expecting Junior, and instead I get a number two. Sorry, but not interested."

"Junior is working for a woman named Cinder, and her group." Alex now stopped, and his cards started to move around again. "So you've heard of them? Yes, you are an underground mercenary. I think that you'd find her a very good person for employment. The only thing, you need to work for me for now." Alex floated out his cards, and smiled. "Patrons, clear out." All of the patrons walked away, and Alex continued to sit in silence. "What's your name?"

"My name," Alex said. "Is Alex Barraku, perhaps better known as the Trickster." The man's eyes widened, and Alex quickly flew out his cards into the guards. Most of them went sailing, and some of them actually managed to dodge the strikes. Alex rested his hands on two chairs next to them, and he used his semblance to fling both of them out into two more of the guards.

Adam watched carefully, and he saw several guards go flying through the air, a purple trail visible behind them. Adam took that as his cue, and pulled out Roses Eclipse. He fired off a shot, and flew straight over to Alex. He fired off a shot just before he got there, and stopped his momentum. He landed, and fired off a shot to bring his scythe up into one of the guards. He quickly fired off another shot, and took down one with the bullet, and one with the swing itself.

Alex saw three guards raise up rifles, and he quickly raised up his cards to form a wall in front of him. The bullets reflected off of the steel lined deck, and he flung them forward to take them down. He looked over, and saw the leader trying to run off. Alex dedicated a small portion of his cards to wall up in front of him, and then he sent off another one to take out his knees. He looked over, and saw that Adam had cut down the few remaining guards. He walked over, and picked up the leader.

"Oh you're not going anywhere," he said. He dragged him over to the bar, and tossed him on one of the stools. Adam walked over, and looked over at him.

"Hello there," Adam said.

"What do you want?" The leader asked. "And who the hell are you." Adam brushed aside his hair, and stared at him with his one crimson eye. "You're the Red Reaper."

"So him you recognize on sight," Alex said. "No respect."

"Quiet," Adam barked. "We're here on business."

"Tell me," the leader said. "What did I do that someone deemed worthy of putting up a bounty so large, that two of the best bounty hunters would come after me?"

"It wasn't you, it was your boss."

"My boss? I didn't know Junior had a bounty."

"Isn't that the point of bounties?" Alex asked. "For people to not know they have them?"

"Either way," Adam said. "He doesn't have one. It's the people he's working with. What do you know of them?"

"I don't know," the leader said. "All I was told, was to throw around Cinder's name, and see if I could get people to join. There was some sort of bonus for us involved with that."

"I think he's lying," Alex said as he began to float his cards around him. "I say, I throw cards at him, see how long it takes him to crack."

"I'm telling the truth, I swear."

"Adam, this is your lead." Adam pulled out his scroll, and ran his picture through facial recognition. He came up as a low level criminal, not really worth anything.

"Let him go," Adam declared. "Not worth anything for knowledge, and not worth anything on the bounty market." Alex nodded, and turned to walk away. He quietly pulled out a single card, and turned around again.

"Just know," he said. "If you get any bright ideas about telling your boss about us..." He threw forward the card, and buried it into the spot just above his head. The leader plucked it out, and looked over the card. It was a tarot death card, and the meaning couldn't of have been clearer.

"Understood," the leader said nervously. The two bounty hunters walked out of the bar, and entered their vehicles.

"What now?" Alex asked.

"Well," Adam said. "I wish to spend some time with my sister, and then we'll just wait." Alex nodded, and jumped on top of Ace.

"Let me know if anything comes up," he yelled out, revving up the engine.

"I will," Adam yelled back. "See you around."

"See you later Reaper."

_Beacon Academy: Team DRGN's Dorm_

The four students were polishing off their weapons, and running them through some maintenance tests. Today was their first day back in classes, and it was a day of sparing against RWBY. RWBY was one of the more gifted teams, and they often presented problems when DRGN fought them. What worried them more, was that RWBY had already told them about what had happened to them in their dreams.

Derek was left with his thoughts about everything that was going on. _Adam is not only active in the dream world, he's targeting everyone. He no longer is playing to get me, he's playing to kill me. I guess we'll have to be equally aggressive._

"Alright team," Gwen said, looking over at the clock. "Time to get going." Derek nodded, and the four of them left for sparing.

_Sparing Class: Glynda Goodwitch_

"Welcome back class," Goodwitch exclaimed. "It has been a long time since we have seen you, and most of you didn't really get out during the break. Sadly, we still do not have time to get everyone into the fight. So, I picked some of our higher rated teams. Will teams RWBY and DRGN please take the arena?" Both teams stood across from each other, and started to talk strategy.

Team RWBY were talking intense strategy. They had to decide who was going against who, and it wasn't easy with DRGN.

"I want to take a shot at Monica," Ruby said.

"Any reason?" Blake asked.

"I don't know, I've never fought her."

"Fine by me," Weiss said. "I want to take on Nathan. Wipe that cocky grin off his face."

"Ice on ice," Blake said. "I like the strategy." She and Yang looked at each other, and realized the options they had left. "I've got Gwen," Blake said immediately.

"Damnit," Yang replied. "That means I'm left with Derek."

"Good luck babe."

While RWBY was deep in depth discussing their fighting strategies, DRGN was discussing lunch.

"I think if we win, we should treat ourselves to something nice," Nathan added in. "Like a diner, or anything that's not the schools cafeteria."

"If we win?" Gwen asked. "Screw that. I say if one of us wins, we go out somewhere." Everyone swung their gaze to Derek, and he just looked back at them.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" He asked cautiously.

"Well," Monica said. "You are our best fighter. Plus, no one one RWBY holds the necessary pieces to beat you."

"That's not entirely true. Yang and Blake are plenty fast enough, if Weiss ever decided to use anything but ice and fire against me I'd be in trouble, and Ruby posses the strength. Speaking of which, who should we fight?"

"Time's up!" Goodwitch called out.

"Well shit," Nathan said. "Guess we spent a little too much time on lunch."

"As always," Gwen added with a grin. "So what do we do?"

"I guess they pick our matchups," Derek said. "And we'll just follow along."

"Damn," Monica said. "Well, we dug ourselves a pretty big hole."

"Since Nathan started the discussion on food, he's going first." Nathan sighed, and pulled out his axe. He took the stage, and Weiss stood across from him.

They both leveled their weapons at each other, and took a deep breath. Nathan activated his bracelet, and some icy winds started to whip up around him.

"Begin!" Goodwitch called out. Weiss flew forward, and swung a column of flames at Nathan. He raised up an ice wall, and the flames melted through it. Nathan dove over the fire, but Weiss swung around her rapier into his stomach. He let out a loud groan, and went flying across the stage. He landed with a hard thud, and he quickly sprung to his feet. He swung around his axe, and a pillar of ice rose up in front of him. Nathan swung his axe into it, and sent off a chunk right at Weiss. She ducked under it, and her sword crackled with electricity. She swung it around into Nathan's ice pillar, and it melted down.

"Best two out of three?" Nathan tried. Weiss swung her sword into his chest, and Nathan was sent back.

"And Nathan has suffered his third defeat," Goodwitch announced. "You're not starting off the new year well."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Nathan grumbled. Gwen helped him up, and tossed him back to the rest of his team.

"You sure showed her," Monica teased.

"Don't know what that was about. I guess I am rusty."

"Good," Derek said. "I was worried I wouldn't get to hound you." Nathan groaned, and everyone looked over too Gwen and Blake. The fight had already begun, and they looked over to see that Gwen wasn't doing too hot. She whipped up some wind, and Blake was just waiting for the next opening. Sadly, Gwen was draining her own aura.

"GWEN!" Monica yelled out. "YOU'RE DRAINING YOUR AURA!"

"I KNOW THAT!" She yelled over the winds. "I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!" Blake seemed to just be waiting on her to get into the yellow, and finally she charged forward. Gwen deflected the first strike with her axe, and the she brought up the flat of her blade into Blake's stomach. Blake sailed overhead, and Gwen hit her with a blast of wind. Blake struggled to get up, and they saw that her aura was in the yellow as well. One more strike was going to be the difference in this fight. Blake switched around Gambol Shroud to it's ribbon, and threw it forward. Gwen deflected the blow, and the blade landed in the ground by her. Gwen took a step forward, and Blake fired off a shot from Shroud. The but of the pistol caught Gwen in the back of the head, and she collapsed.

"And a fifth loss for Gwen," Goodwitch called out. "More and more interesting turns to start off this year." Monica helped Gwen up, and Derek took her over to Nathan.

"And the dynamic duo falls," Derek exclaimed.

"Shutup," Gwen said. "One lucky blow."

"And you're out of fighting shape. You and Nathan have a long way to go."

Monica faced off against Ruby, and she raised up her spear. Ruby pulled her scythe back, and poised herself to fight.

"Begin!" Goodwitch yelled out. Ruby fired off a shot, and flew straight at Monica. Monica raised up her spear, and lit it up with electricity. When Crescent Rose collided with her spear, both girls were thrown back. Both teams looked up at the aura, and gasped in slight surprise. It had taken so much energy for Monica to hold off the attack, that her aura had dropped into the yellow already. Ruby had lost a lot of aura as well, but that was more expected. Monica stood up, and Ruby did the same. Monica raised up her spear, and waited for Ruby to attack. Ruby ran forward, and swung around her scythe at Monica. She jumped up into the air, and landed on the ground. She quickly electrified the ground, and Ruby jumped up in the air. Monica fired off a bolt of lightning at Ruby, and she quickly changed her course. Unfortunately, she didn't account for the fact that the ground was electrified. She landed, and let out a small cry. Her aura fell into the red, and Monica eased off of the ground.

"And a fourth loss for Ruby," Goodwitch exclaimed. "Though, it only would of have been Monica's second loss. A good fight you two. Derek, Yang, let's begin." Yang and Derek stood across from each other, and Derek did something unexpected. He tossed away his spear and sword, leaving him with only his armor and natural assets.

"What are you doing?" Yang asked.

"Giving you a chance," Derek replied. He extended his spikes and claws, and grinned wickedly.

"Gee, thanks," Yang replied sarcastically.

"Begin!" Goodwitch yelled out. Yang and Derek circled each other, both waiting on each other to make the first move. Yang finally gave in, and ran forward. Derek flew out of the way of her strike, and puffed out some flames. He ran forward, and swung around his claws at Yang's head. She did a handspring back, and Derek blew out some flames. He heard a noise, a slight noise, a subtle noise, one that no one else would pick up on. But Yang and Derek did, and Yang's head lowered.

"Oh shit," he grumbled. He looked over at the top of her head, and saw a portion of her hair, seared off. "Yang, think of all the great times we've had together."

"You," Yang growled.

"Yang, you and I have gotten along quite well in the past. Think of all I've done."

"DEREK!" Yang roared. Flames erupted around her, and Yang ran forward in a frenzy. She swung her fist around into Derek's stomach, and he was surprised at the damage it did. Derek started to bring his arms around to where she swung her fists. He finally pushed her back with his tail, and blew forward some wings. Yang ran forward at him again, and Derek danced out of the way. He started a strike at her, but Yang brought her elbow into his neck. Derek gasped slightly, and brought his palm into Yang's chest. She flew across the stage, but quickly landed on her knees and slid to a stop. Derek checked the aura, and saw just how close both of their auras were. _I need to delay just a little bit. If I don't, Yang's rage will only continue._

"Had enough?" Yang asked, her eyes burning with rage. Derek responded by taking to the air. Yang fired off two shots, and propelled herself into the air. Derek saw his chance, and altered his course to a little lower. Yang corrected her own, and Derek batted her down with his wings. Yang sailed to the ground, and the buzzer sounded. Derek landed, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well then," Goodwitch said. "A tie. Either way, Derek and Monica added on a win, as did Weiss and Blake. Well fought Yang." Yang groaned slightly, her rage having subsided. Derek helped her to her feet, and she glared at him.

"You burned my hair," she said angrily.

"I'll make it up to you," Derek promised.

"You'd better."

"Anyways," Goodwitch interrupted. "Time for our next fight. Team ASSN, take the stage. You will be facing..."

**End: HAHA I'm an asshole. So there is another team that will be added to the mix {this is not LOOS/JNPR}. Obviously not Rosanne's, since her team is technically still open and she's a third year team. Also, the reason I cut it off is because of how long this chapter turned out to be. Also, I'm going to start a new story. Don't know what I'll call it, but I'm gonna do it. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, oc's, things about me being an asshole, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	75. Chapter 75

Child of Grimm Ch. 75

**So I have a new story out. Tragedy of the Chessboard is it's name. I'm really enjoying writing it, and I really like the direction I'm taking it. Please give it a read. It is rated M, but that comes into play later on.**

He woke up, and stretched out. Ginseng quickly studied his new surroundings, and just checked over the smaller room. It held enough space for him to get by, and that was all he needed. Despite his more booming, and very aesthetically driven nature, he only needed a small space to function properly. He quickly placed on the two components of Hades Fruits, and checked the blades and dust on his gauntlets. He then checked the dust on his boots, and just nodded approvingly. He quickly added on Belladonna's Spite to his harness, and he was brought back to the promise he had made.

_You can kill my family, but I will be back. I will be sure to, not kill you, but eradicate those that you love, as you have done with me._

Yes, it was such a long time ago. When he had said that, he had been nothing more then an optimistic boy in early adolescence, but now he was the Toolman, King of the Underground. Now, he had all the necessary means to exact his revenge. There was only one downside, he was in high demand. One day, he might get the time to deliver the promise of the threat. For now, he had to tend to the task at hand. He pulled out his scroll, and saw a message from Xander.

_You may be the King, but this squad is technically going to be lead by me. Get to the training room so we can familiarize you with how we fight._

_On my way_

He put away his scroll, and plucked out a small variety of grenades. Little did he know, just how close he was to delivering on his promise.

_Beacon Academy: Sparing: Glynda Goodwitch_

"Will team ASSN please take the floor?" Goodwitch called out. Team ASSN walked onto the floor, and patiently awaited their matchup. "Excellent. Now, will team ANGL take the floor?"

"ANGL?" Derek asked. "I've actually heard a little bit about them. They're supposed to be fairly good at this." He looked over to observe who took the floor. He saw a girl with brown hair and blonde highlights step up first. She had light magenta eyes. She wore a silver cuirass with leather shoulder pads. On her left hand, she wore a gauntlet, and Derek had trouble placing exactly what it was made of. It had some form of sapphire crystal in the middle of it, but it didn't look like just a sapphire. It let out a quick flash, which only confirmed Derek's suspicions. She wore a pair of silver leggings and leather boots to complete the look.

The second member of ANGL to take the floor, was a boy. He had short black hair, a brown eye, and a black eye. He wore a black and dark purple tailcoat, that had about medium length sleeves. The front was buttoned up with silver trim lining the ends of the coat. He wore black pants, with a fireball insignia on the legs. He wore a pair of brown and black boots to top off the look.

The third member of ANGL, was clearly different then the others. Something about his appearance seemed different to him. First off, he was massive. He wore a copper chest plate and bronze shoulder pads. A set of chain mail was only just visible underneath his other armor. He wore two gauntlets over both of his arms. He wore copper leggings and copper boots, along with a set of bronze knee pads. But what seemed off to Derek, was his face. His eyes were different colors, one being blue and the other a very artificial looking red, and his copper hair seemed just as artificial.

The final member of ANGL was dwarfed by his massive companion, but it seemed like almost everyone would dwarf him. He had blond hair, and his eyes once again were different colors. One of them was blue and the other was green. He openly displayed a pair of blond cat ears, leading Derek to believe that he was either very confident, or very violent. He wore a protective black jacket, an ammo belt going straight across it. It held several dust magazines, with rounds that appeared to be Mercury dust. He wore blue and black pants, and a pair of boots with three spikes on the front of them.

"They look interesting," Gwen said, as she iced her back. "Never seen them before."

"I've heard the name ANGL tossed around a few times," Derek added in. "But I've never seen them fight. I'm intrigued to see what they do against our sneaky friends."

"Alright students," Goodwitch said, as she looked through her scroll. "I switched around one matchup, due to I believe the other will be a better fight, but otherwise the order will go with the flow of your teams. Alan Shaft, Angelika Elysium, will you both please take the stage?" The girl in the silver cuirass stepped up to the front, and looked across at Alan. She reached down to her sheath, and pulled out a large sword. It appeared to made of sun-silver, with a line of blue dust going down the middle of it. The hilt appeared to be made of iron, and it had some form of a wing insignia on the pommel.

"Get 'em Angy," The one in the tailcoat yelled out.

"Begin!" Goodwitch called out. Adam fired off three arrows in rapid succession, and Angelika raised up a wall of ice to deflect from arrows. Two of them burned their way through the ice, forcing her to dive out of the way. She looked up, and saw that Alan had vanished. She looked down at her glove, and took a deep breath in.

"Wings," she said quietly. Derek tilted his head in curiosity. _Why would she do that? _Derek looked closer, and realized that her eyes seemed to of have gained an extra layer of color. She swung around her blade, and they heard a loud _clang. _Alan quickly reappeared, and he looked angrily at her. He dove back, and switched around his swords back to it's bow form. He fired off two arrows, and froze her shoes to the ground. Angelika activated the dust on her blade, and the ice quickly broke off. She flipped around her sword, and Alan switched around his bow back to it's swords. Alan ran forward, and and Angelika blocked the strike with her sword. She activated the dust in her blade, and Alan's swords both froze over. She swung around the large flat into his stomach, and sent him sailing.

"That's the match," Goodwitch yelled out. "A good showing Mr. Shaft, but Ms. Elysium was too strong for you." Alan broke off the ice, and looked angrily at his aura. There was no way he was already in the red, but there it was. He walked off the stage, and Angelika rejoined her team. Derek listened in.

"Nice use of your semblance Angy," the cat faunus remarked.

"Thanks," she replied. "I didn't know how many more strikes I would get in with Leviathan, so I had to make that one count." _So that must mean that her semblance has something to do with her strikes and the strength of it._

"Next fight," Goodwitch called out. "Sarah Switch, Nachon Hearthfire, will you please take the floor?" The boy in the tailcoat walked onto the stage, and Sarah stood across from him. She pulled out her axes, and waited on him. He hefted up a long gunblade. It appeared to be a mix of a rifle and sword, one of the more logical combinations.

"Prepare to face Valiance," Nachon said confidently. Sarah mocked a gag.

"Cheesy much?" She asked.

"Begin!" Goodwitch yelled out. Nachon fired off a round, and a small ice blast fired out. Sarah quickly teleported away, and reappeared by his knees. She swung the back of her axe into his knees, and then teleported away. _So she does change her tactics. That's good news. _Nachon spun around, but he saw that she was already gone. She teleported back over to him, and swung around her axes into his stomach. She quickly teleported away, and Nachon could already tell that his aura was in trouble. He raised up his hand, and a small purple glow engulfed over him, and three copies of himself appeared around him. Derek coughed slightly at the sight. Sarah teleported over, and swung around one of her axes into one of their heads. It vanished, and she felt a blow come to her side. She teleported away, and reappeared right behind the one that had hit her. She brought the back of her axe into his neck, and then it just vanished. She felt another blow to her side, and she glared angrily at the one that had hit her. She threw her axe into it's skull, and it vanished as well. She felt a jolt of electricity hit her, and she toppled over.

"And that's the match!" Goodwitch called out. "Well fought Ms. Switch, that lived up to my expectations." Sarah dragged herself to the rest of her team, while Nachon walked tiredly over to his team.

"You're lucky," the copper one said. "If she had known about your semblance, then, statistically speaking, you would of have lost."

"Can it big guy," Nachon said. "I still won."

"Now, for the next fight," Goodwitch called out. "Nor Snow, Gaius Ebenezer, will you please take the stage." The large man stood up, and entered the stage with Nor. Derek also noticed that he seemed older, almost like he shouldn't be a first year. His red eye glowed slightly as he looked over Nor.

"Data inconclusive," he stated.

"What?" Nor asked, her grip on her daggers slightly faltering.

"No matter," he recovered. He held out his right arm, and it started to switch around. Soon, his arm was replaced by a large hammer. He held out his left arm, and it switched around into an LMG of some sorts. Nor's eyes got wide, and everyone seemed to have a similar reaction. "IGH-8900 expected to function properly, as is ILMG-8900."

"What the fuck is this?" Nor cried out. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Fight him Ms. Snow," Goodwitch said, a slight smile evident on her face. "He's only a cyborg."

"Good to know," Nor grumbled. She looked down at her daggers, and sighed heavily.

"Begin!" Goodwitch yelled out. Gaius' right eye light up again, and he raised up his machine gun arm. He open fired, and flaming rounds came flying out of the barrel. Nor decided to take the smart approach, and just started running. She dove over some of the rounds, and looked over to see that he had somehow closed the distance between him and her. He swung his hammer in an overhead strike, and brought it straight down on Nor. When he lifted it, she was no longer there. His eye lit up again, as he looked over at where she was. A small pile of dust started to form behind him, and Nor quickly reassembled herself. She swung around both daggers into the back of his neck, and Gaius just turned around. Nor smiled weakly, and then switched around into another pile of dust. She split off both sections in separate directions. Gaius seemed to have trouble locating her, and she soon blended in with the rest of the dust in the room. Gaius raised up gun again, and open fired at all of the dust. Some of the particles reacted violently, and Gaius focused in on those. Soon, Nor just assembled on the ground, clearly unconscious.

"Mr. Ebenezer, that's enough," Goodwitch stopped him. "Her aura has been in the red, and I've been calling for the this match to stop for a while."

"Noise levels tampered with my hearing," Gaius said. "My apologies."

"Help her off the stage." Gaius picked Nor up with one hand {both of them were back to their normal forms as arms}, and walked her over to the rest of her team. "Now, for the last fight. Sal Shadows, Leon Furlong, please take the stage." Sal grumbled to himself, and walked onto the stage. The cat faunus walked across from him, and looked over at Sal. Leon pulled out a blue, black, and white sniper rifle, and kept his hand on the stock of it. Sal drew his swords, and Leon smiled.

"A dual wielder?" He asked. "Perfect for Claudia and Vincent."

"What is it with people and naming their weapons?" Sal grumbled.

"Begin!" Goodwitch yelled out. Sal melted back into a shadow, and Leon frantically looked around. Derek realized that he seemed to be younger then the rest of his team. _I guess him and Gaius balance out. _Leon looked down the sights of his sniper, and tried to find Sal. Derek smiled. One thing about Sal's semblance, it did eliminate all traces of body heat. Without a warning, Leon pulled out a short sword from the stock of his sniper {it was made of steel, and it had an ebony hilt with three blades attached to the pommel}, and swung it around to deflect Sal's blades. Sal melted back into the shadows, and Leon fired frantically at where he was. Each dust round that made contact, seemed to hold a different type of dust. Leon swung around his shoe up, and the blades stopped the strike of Sal. He quickly raised up the hilt of his short sword to stop the other strike of Sal, and he fired off an electrical round into Sal. Sal flew back, and slammed into the wall. Leon fired off several more rounds, until Sal's aura hit the red.

"What a good display of fights," Goodwitch yelled out. "And with Mr. Furlong's victory, that is the end of class."

**End: Shoutout to Ragenogha, from which team ANGL was spawned from. Notice how much more detailed I become when it's someone else's OC's, and not mine? Anyway, please read Tragedy of the Chessboard {if it's your kind of story, read description} and PM any OC's. Just be warned, there is a decent line of OC's that I have to work in. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	76. Chapter 76

Child of Grimm Ch. 76

**Tragedy of the Chessboard is not doing well in terms of views. Can y'all please check it out? Also, crossed over 70 followers at some point and I have no idea when. Thank you so much for that. But I would be really happy if you could also read TotC and let me know what you think.**

Ginseng cut down another one of the targets presented to him, and he slowly backed away from it. All of the other mercenaries just watched him work, in slight awe of how effectively he operated. Ginseng looked back at them, clearly satisfied with the display he had put on.

"See flash," Xander said, tossing up his weapons. "The perfect amount of flash. Showboating, without it becoming your entire fighting style."

"Says the man with two explosive weapons," Yi said.

"Gentlemen," Ginseng said. "We're working together, remember?" Everyone grumbled slightly. "In the face of real competition, arguing will get us no where."

"Real competition?" Hawk asked, clearly amused. "We already fought the hybrid."

"The hybrid?" Ginseng asked, now interested. "What of the hybrid?"

"We took him down," Ely said, tossing up her mace. "He escaped, but I think we pretty clearly established that the five of us can take anyone of them on." Ginseng smiled widely at this.

"So the hybrid will not be an issue. Good, that means the others deserve some of our attention as well."

_Gas Station_

Adamantite pulled up to his pump, and Alex trailed shortly. Adam looked over at his friend, and raised an eyebrow.

"This isn't me being polite," Alex called out. "I didn't refuel it before you showed up. I'm guessing you're in the same boat."

"Yeah," Adam sighed.

"I'm pretty hungry, man," Alex called out, as he placed the dust pump inside of Black Ace. "You want anything from here?"

"You do realize that there are cafe's all around us, right?" Alex paused, and then brought his gaze across the street.

"Oh," he said, slightly mad at himself. "Well, how about we go to the Sunrise Cafe?" The name struck a familiar chord with Adam, but he couldn't place it. No matter, it would come to him.

"Sure," he called out. He checked down, and saw that his car had filled up. He quickly pulled out the pump, and started to drive out. Alex trailed behind him shortly, and both of them pulled into the cafe.

_Sunrise Cafe_

It was completely empty when the two of them walked in. They looked over at the hostess stand, and noticed that it was empty. Adam just guessed that they could take any table they wanted, so he gestured for Alex to take a seat.

Alex promptly tilted the brim of his hat down, and kicked his boots up on the table. Adam smiled at his friends choice of actions. Alex picked up at menu, and started to look through it. Adam followed suit, and he just wondered what he should get.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" A waitress asked. Adam looked up, and seemed slightly surprised at who he saw.

"Rosanne?" He asked.

"Oh," she replied. "Hey Adam. What are you doing back?"

"On my way to visit my sister," he replied. "I forgot this was where you worked."

"Sure you did bud," Alex said as he opened up his deck of cards. "Sure you did."

"Who's your friend?" Rosanne asked, carefully looking over Alex.

"Alex Burakku," Alex said, not giving Adam a chance. "More commonly known of the Trickster. And yourself?"

"Rosanne Vin," she replied. "Huntress in training and waitress extraordinaire." Alex and Adam both smiled at her words. "Speaking of waitress extraordinaire, what is it that you want to drink?"

"We'll take two coffees," Adam said.

"Do I get a say in this?" Alex asked.

"No, you'll just order alcohol, and it's too early in the day for that."

"It's never too early," Alex grumbled.

"I'll get the coffees," Rosanne said. The two bounty hunters continued to browse through the menus.

"So what's the deal with you two?" Alex asked, flipping through the menu. "How do you know Ms. Rosy An?"

"I came here a while back," Adam said. "I was the only one in, and so she talked with me."

"Nothing more? No questions about your life?"

"Very little. Questions about my profession of course. But we're used to that." Alex nodded, and kept looking down at his menu. "Why? What's with the curiosity."

"Come on Adam," Alex replied, looking up from his menu. "You know us, so you know exactly why I'm asking."

"Fair enough," Adam replied, taking a moment to think about what his friend had said. As bounty hunters, they were more then accustomed to moving from place to place at the drop of a hat. That meant very few lasting relations with people, in any way, shape, or form. The knowledge that here in Vale, a family member was residing meant that visits over here would be slightly more frequent. Alex was asking whether or not her personality would mix well with either one of them. A rare luxury that they never got the time to take advantage of. Though, Alex never seemed to disappointed by short term ordeals. Rosanne returned, and set down the cups of coffee, along with a few muffins.

"I saw you guys hovering around on the muffins section," she explained. "So I just took the liberty of putting in orders for two of everything."

"Marry me," Alex said happily.

"You're still paying." Alex looked over at her.

"I want a divorce." Rosanne laughed, and another car pulled up outside of the cafe.

"Ah man, they got my shifts wrong again," she complained.

"They?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," she grumbled. "My team."

"You have a team?"

"Everyone at Beacon has a team." The door opened up, and Rosanne walked to the front to greet them. Adam looked over by her, and studied over the rest of Rosanne's team. The first one that he saw was a girl with white hair, and golden eyes. She wore a pair of black slacks, a poet shirt, a black cloak, and a pair of dress shoes. There was a sword sheath strapped to her waist, leading Adam to believe that she used some kind of sword. She turned a little bit, allowing Adam to see that her ears were pointed, her canine teeth were slightly longer, and a small pair of wings rested on her back.

The second member was a girl with black hair and rose colored eyes. She was dressed in a black bodysuit that was outfitted with a titanium breastplate, shoulder armor, a battle skirt, and spiked shin guards. She had a black and purple two headed mace strapped to her back. She carried herself in a manner that lead him to believe that she had a very aggressive personality.

The final member of her team was a boy with black, shaggy hair and crimson eyes. He wore a denim jacket, and a steel silk shirt accompanied by a pair of steel silk jeans. He had a black and red broadsword strapped to his back, making Adam wonder why everyone walked around with their weapons on them at all times. At least he had left Eclipse in the car. Alex had taken the Black and Red Deck with him, but it didn't really look like a weapon.

"Guys," Rosanne said. "You're early."

"Yup," the faunus said. "We decided to stop by and see how busy you were." She looked around, and then back at Rosanne. "Booming as usual."

"You guys know that I end the day during a quiet hour," Rosanne explained.

"I see you got some business," the other girl said. "Who're they?"

"Just a couple of bounty hunters. Maybe you know them as the Red Reaper and Trickster."

"Seriously?" The boy asked. "Those two?" Rosanne nodded. "Well, looks like we're going in early."

"They're good tippers, so I won't complain." The three members of Rosanne's team walked over to Adam and Alex, and just looked at them for a long time.

"So uhh," the faunus said. "Are you guys really the Red Reaper and the Trickster?" Both of them nodded. "That's pretty sweet. You guys are really well known, and really admired. My name is Lucian, Lucian Thorn. You can just call me Lucia."

"Ignore her and pay attention to me," the other girl said. "My name is Eglantine Blacksmith, and I would be interested in studying with you guys."

"Can it work horse," the boy said, nudging her slightly. "I'm Alphonse Wayr, the only one you can relate to in gender."

"Well," Alex said, his hand now resting on the Deck. "Interesting to meet you people, but we really should get going."

"Alex," Adam said. "We must be polite. Besides, it's not like this is an uncommon thing."

"Yeah, but I normally kill the people that start to form around me."

"I think you'd find me a tougher out," Eglantine said. "I wear armor, making it harder for your cards to get through them."

"I think you'd find my cards slightly tougher then you might anticipate," Alex added in. The cards started to float out of their compartments, and Adam quickly gestured for him to put them away.

"Well," Adam said. "Interesting to meet you, but _we _have to get going."

"We do?" Alex asked, looking down at his muffins.

"Just take those with you," Adam said annoyedly. He tossed down some lien, and Alex added on some more. "I'll probably see you around. Bye Rosanne."

"See you guys later," she called back. Adam and Alex both left the cafe, and took off for Beacon.

**End: Apologies for the length, but this was another introductions chapter. Shoutout to Haos Serpent Blade-Azure Fang, from which team RWLE {Rosanne's team} was spawned from. Anyways, questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	77. Chapter 77

Child of Grimm Ch. 77

**WHAT'S UP BITCHES? So, had this entrance planned out. This is a very important A/N for the story. You know team ASSN? Consider them background, fighting characters that I can use in major skirmishes. Team ANGL {those fucks from a literally the last chapter}, put them in the same sentence as ASSN. JNPR? Nah, I already wasn't using them. JWLS? They're already my tank team in my canon story {which I want them to start RWBY so I can pick up again}. The Bounty Hunters? That dynamic duo will stick around, but they're not going to be very valuable. The mercs, Cinder and Torchwick? Of course they're going to be important. I have some weird obsession with Xander and his team, plus I absolutely adore Ginseng for some reason. If you sent me any OC's, I may eventually use them but really don't count on them. Speaking of which, Rosanne Vin. She's an incredibly important piece for me, so expect a reappearance by her team, RWLE. Maybe not used frequently, and you can probably forget about her for a bit. Going to refocus myself over to the Child of Grimm, Derek Flame. I will cover ANGL again, but really kind of as a "you kicked the shit out of us, how?" thing. With this A/N, which is one of the few that has ever actually been plot relevant and not me going off on a tangent. I hit the 86 follows, and 72 favorites mark. Why is this significant? That now puts me at the top of this website for OC stories, and I didn't even write during the point where I went up by 16 followers! I cannot believe it! When I wrote my first story {believe it or not, OC since I only have two non-OC stories} I never pictured myself hitting this milestone. Honestly, words cannot express how incredibly happy and grateful that my shitty stories have evolved to this. Where people will not only enjoy my stories, but go through and find my past stories to follow/favorite even though I haven't updated it in a while. That being said, this is not my best story {or so I believe}. I am proud of my conceptualizing of the Child of Grimm idea {which was not something I had personally seen before}, but A Harsh Reality is a much better/more enjoyable story because it centers around the things that I cannot center around in OC stories, which is proper White Rose and Bumblebee {because who doesn't love a good dose of those two ships?}. Now that I've gone off on a tangent to accompany the important tangent {which both totaled at around 447 words}, let us revive this story.**

He retracted his claws, and looked at the pile of corpses that lay at his feet. Another successful run, and this time the Toolman got to take part in it.

"That's why we pay for the big guns," Xander said with a grin. "Hawk and Ely get us in, Yi holds 'em off, I clean up, Vlad prepares the bodies, and we can just let the Toolman work his way out of this."

"Mere flattery will do you nothing with me, Mr. Scars," Ginseng said boredly, raking his claws back and forth. "I still must prove myself against the hybrid."

"Prove?" Yi asked, concern lining his voice. "What is there to prove?"

"Everything," Ginseng said softly, working his way over to the airship. "It took all five of you to take him down. So far, none of you have been able to take him on by yourselves. Yi, that's believable. Ely, not surprising. Vlad, don't know enough about you. Hawk, a little surprising. Xander, well now I'm curious." Xander shrugged. Anything that Ginseng wanted done, he was willing to do. Xander wasn't going to miss his opportunity to move up the ranks.

Absolutely none of them had anything to gain by killing another one of them. A common misconception about the Underground Market, was that they could kill each other and gain an edge. Who the hell would want to employ someone that kills their co-worker? Even among the criminally insane, the criminally brilliant, and the corrupt that was a terrible idea.

That being said, Xander was the only other one apart from Hawk and Ginseng that had been in the game for a long period of time. Vlad was made his assistant because of his semblance, Yi was hired for a bit of flare, and Ely was hired as the muscle. Hawk was hired for his skill level, experience, and cunning eye for detail. Ginseng was hired because as long as there was money attached to the end result, he would find a way to get the job done. Xander was hired because of his semblance, devious mind, and a similar work philosophy to Ginseng.

If the Toolman wanted assistance to getting a one on one battle with the hybrid, then Xander would do it. He wasn't going to deny the man with all the pieces in his industry. If he got killed in the process, no blood on his hands. He knew that his crack team could already deal with the hybrid, pending on any drastic changes. Ginseng goes down, well suddenly the top becomes a little less crowd.

You never want to leave a mad man in a crowd, it simply never ended well for the bystanders.

_Beacon Academy: Cafeteria_

Derek coughed up another ball of flames, and was once again successful at stopping it prior to the ground. He had been this way since his fight with his brawler friend, though the friend part of it was up in the air at this point.

"You alright?" Monica asked, nudging his arm gently.

"No," Derek grumbled. "She slugged me in the stomach. Let me tell you, Yang hits hard when she's pissed."

"Yeah, I'd avoid her for a bit," Gwen suggested. "She doesn't seem very like the person to forgive quickly."

"I'd listen to her," Nathan suggested.

"Both of you, quiet," Derek ordered. "I want to eat, like a normal person. Her anger won't be enough to break my scales." Derek gave a very discouraging cough, adding in more fire. "I genuinely hate coughing," Derek grumbled. "The amount of sick days that I had to take at Signal to avoid getting caught."

"Getting caught?" Monica asked.

"Yes," Derek groaned. "When I get sick, I do not get sick like a normal human. My body replaces normal bodily fluids with flames. I would kill for vomit."

"What does that look like?" Nathan asked, incredibly interested then.

"Eventually you'll learn," Derek said ominously. "I can never avoid being sick for an entire year. Once again, another side affect." No one was really willing to question him, at that point they just believed what he had said.

They quickly joined in with the other four teams, and walked in on the middle of the conversation. Of course, that only ever provided issues for Monica. Otherwise, Derek never said a word until called upon, and Nathan and Gwen mostly spoke with each other.

"So ASSN," Monica said immediately. "You-."

"We got our asses kicked," Alan grumbled. "I already told you, straight confrontation isn't our thing. That much wasn't a lie. Plus, those assholes seem to be built around straight confrontation. I'm proud of how well I did against that Angelika lady."

"Who were they again?" Yang asked, looking away from Derek. She could already tell that her hair was going to take a while to get sorted out again.

"ANGL," Gwen contributed. "They've fought against CRDL and WALL once, plus some other teams. Not sure if they've lost yet." Yang stopped paying attention around halfway through her statement. She got what she needed. Yang stood up, and let out a loud whistle.

"HEY!" She yelled out. "WE'RE LOOKING FOR A TEAM NAMED ANGL, ANY TAKERS?" Her yelling was replaced by a long and awkward silence, but eventually a small group of four stood up.

"What do you want?" The girl said, the one they identified as Angelika.

"We just wanna talk," Yang yelled out. The four of them conferred for a moment, but decided that they had nothing to lose.

They walked over, and awkwardly sat down next to ASSN. The others stared over at their new arrivals for a moment, until Ruby broke the ice.

"So who are you again?" She asked. Weiss elbowed her, causing Ruby to rephrase her question. "I mean, what are your names."

"Angelika," the girl said. "The leader of this team."

"Nachon," the next boy added in. "Resident loner and genius."

"Leon," the next boy continued. "I got moved two years ahead, and I'm the resident dust expert." The next boys red eye flickered, and his blue eye continued to look ahead.

"Ay, G," Angelika said, nudging her teammate slightly. "You actually have to speak."

"Data remains inconclusive," the robot stated. "Names only consistency. Designated as G41U5, Gaius with no code." He hummed slightly, and shook his head. "Damn programs," he grumbled.

"Wait," Nathan asked, intrigued now that the bot was speaking. "You're not a pure robot?"

"Way to figure that one out," Gaius said angrily. "I'm a cyborg. Which explains my chest, arms, eyes, and the program attached to my mind. Designed with the sole purpose of combat, and I'm here to obey." He twitched again, causing everyone to slid slightly further away.

"So uh," Jaune said awkwardly. "What's with the twitching?"

"I have a computerized mind trying to co-exist with what remains of my mind. No worries, it only controls my core nervous system." This only forced everyone to move further away from him. "My human nerves," he corrected. "My hammer and gun arms are safe until I trigger them." He twitched again, only encouraging fear from everyone else. LOOS, ASSN, and Derek all stood up, and shook their heads.

"If you need me," Derek grumbled. "I'll be in my dorm, hacking up a lung."

"You deserved it, you dick," Yang shouted out to him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

**Aaaaand End: Sorry for the shitty first chapter back, I just wanted to go ahead and push those I needed to push out of the way. I have a review count going on on a Harsh Reality, and I'm going to bring it over here. Do you want my next story to center around the Black Knight from the Order {first FF}, or the Malachite twins. Anyways, going to try and get this up and running again and going to center my focus back around to DRGN and RWBY. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, angry reviews that this is so short, and feedback is appreciated.**


	78. Chapter 78

Child of Grimm Ch. 78

**BOOM! VOTING'S CLOSED! Final results are: Malachite Twins: 4, Black Knight: 4. O_o. So, here's what I'm going to do. This chapter is started a bit later in the day, but I'm going to extend the voting to tomorrow when I wake up. So can some odd number of people vote, please? Going to shoehorn in the Signal aspect of this story into the plot at some point, because I don't want to make a whole other story for it. But please, do vote {I do not have a personal preference}. Someone also expressed concern for me doing three stories simultaneously, the concern stemming from me not being able to deliver quality. If I had my way, I would separate my brain into six different pieces of me so that I could do the 5 stories that I would like to do. Sadly, that is a flaw of man. I constantly have 5 plots in my mind, and I deeply wish to execute 5 of them {the two you're voting on, this story, AHR, JWLS, and a plot that shall remain nameless for now} at some point in time. For now, I shall commit myself to three and bring back JWLS before volume two comes back, cause there's some shit I gotta take care of for those guys {and girl}. My original plan was to shoehorn in something else into this story {jury's still out on that} but for now, that has been slightly delayed. Anyways, sorry for the lengthy A/N's as of late. I just want to get this out there so I have it on written record. But now, back to my story.**

He checked around the area. It didn't seem like much, but it was a favorite spot of his target.

"Remember," he whispered to his help. "I do not wish to kill, nor be killed. This is an evaluation of skills."

"We got you man," someone replied. "You give the signal, we pull you out." He nodded, and took his place.

"Do we really pull him out?" The youngest asked.

"Of course, you idiot. You wanna move to the top, you have to help those that are higher then what you're shooting for."

_Beacon Halls_

Derek walked along, keeping his hoodie pulled close. Despite how much he had actually grown to trust his friends, it still left him with the others. Those that he was less familiar with. The Faunus could save the world, and the odds that they would be accepted as a normal piece of society were still slim. But what about them? The Children of Grimm, or hybrids as other knew them by?

The struggle for Faunus was already set in the fact that they simply didn't have an exact place in the 'man vs beast,' struggle. A Faunus was mostly human, so the notion that they still had to, 'figure it out,' pissed Derek off. The five Children of Grimm that were in existence, those that survived, were torn. They were quite literally designed to be a half match to a human, and a half match to a Grimm. The strengths of a Grimm, and the assets of a human. Where did they fit in? Derek chose to use it as a tactical advantage against the Grimm, as had the other four. But people seemed to fail to realize this. They chose to look at them as monsters. Though, Derek had a difficult time blaming them.

He still thought that the notion of a Grimm hybrid, was one that would be fabricated for stories to scare children. _Someone that is as wise and fast as a man, but as powerful and resourceful as a Grimm. _Come on, how did that sound like something friendly? The other Children of Grimm didn't view themselves in a positive light either, but they had something Derek didn't.

A choice.

They were able to chose whether or not to become a Grimm. His choice was made by his parents, who eventually lost their lives for it.

Steam began to radiate off of him, and Derek had to force himself to calm down. He couldn't dive into these thoughts. With his new-ish strength, he was a walking fire hazard.

Something caught his eye, forcing him to give a slight pause. Was that what he thought it was? He casually drew his sword and spear, and quietly stalked forward.

A strong force caught him in the chest, forcing him to take a step back. He turned, and felt the same force come straight across his face. He brought up his hand, and checked for any marks. _A good thing that these are strong as they are, otherwise I'd be dead right now._

"Show yourself!" Derek called out, sweeping around his two weapons. "Or I will be forced to seek you out." Someone emerged from the shadows, a black and violet revolver smoking in his hands.

"So you are what they said you are," he began. "Standard dust rounds are not effective against you." Derek took a moment to study over his attire, taking time to take everything in.

"I must admit, I should take it as an honor that they'd hire the Toolman to come after me." Ginseng allotted himself a smile. Recognition amongst mercenaries was always very important to him. "Speaking of which, I suggest you get a new nickname. You're not coming to fix my pluming, are you?" Ginseng's face curled into an ugly sneer.

"Oh, such an original joke," he said in an exasperated tone. "The hybrid can throw punches."

"Can we stop using that word?" Derek asked. "Can I just be Derek?"

"Even if I were to use something else to refer to you, I would use your actual name Mr. Drake Flame." Derek sighed, and kept his weapons leveled. Neither of them showed a sign of moving, until Ginseng came up with a plan.

He calmly put away his spear, recognizing that the firearm and venom aspect would be useless against his current opponent. Casually flexed around his wrists, and activated both sides of Hades Fruits. The claws springing to life, and boots coming to a point of being ready.

"I understand that you are quite good unarmed," Ginseng remarked. "Let us prove that theory, shall we?" Derek extended his claws, and smiled wickedly.

"That's because I'm never unarmed," he remarked. Derek quickly extended the rest of his spikes, and flexed his wings to their full span. He puffed out some fire into his hands, making it appear as though he were keeping them warm. Imagine Ginseng's surprise when the flames remained in their place, washing over every inch of his hands. "And I'm not going to let you use dust, while I'm left with nothing." Ginseng just cocked back his weapons, and then shifted around his stance.

"Whenever you wish to begin," he started. "I am ready to-." He was cut off by a stream of flames going over his head, and a murderous gaze from Derek. "So not one to talk, huh." He fired off two rounds from his boots, and went sailing over to Derek. He quickly fired off two wind rounds, and shot himself backwards. The wind should of have been enough to know Derek over, but he held his ground. He was much too solid of an object to get knocked back by mere wind.

Ginseng rushed forward again, this time focusing his attention on only using his boots to move himself a little bit faster. He fired off two rounds from his gauntlets, attempting to throw Derek off balance. Derek just absorbed the blows, and grabbed onto Ginseng's shoulders. He could feel the heat from the flames searing into his coat. Ginseng knew that he only had a little time, so he just dumped down one of his flash bangs. It went off, forcing Derek to drop Ginseng. Ginseng crawled away, and got to his feet.

"Well then hybrid," he said briefly. "I got what I came for, a fair evaluation of your skills." He fingered a smoke grenade, and tossed it to the ground. "Until next time." It went off, showing a cloud of smoke to block his escape.

Derek batted his wings until it all cleared, and then looked around. There was no sign of the Toolman. He angrily turned around, and swung his fist into the wall. _I can't get a single one of these damn people! Though, defeating me didn't seem to be his goal. What the hell is going on?_

_Nearby Airship_

Ginseng watched over the school as the bullhead took off. If he had been fighting for something more then just to evaluate, there was no way he would of survived. That being said, that was the very reason that he took an evaluation fight. Most people would simply go in, relying on the research that they were provided. He had done this for long enough, and most importantly, survived long enough to understand the important details. Xander and Hawk were the only ones to of have survived longer then five years. Hawk had predator instincts, while Xander had a semblance that made prior research a breeze. The Toolman was a man of research, and this time, research actually helped him very little.

"Xander," he said angrily. "I want to know what you know about the hybrid. Next time, the affair won't be so one-sided."

_Beacon Academy: Outside of Team DRGN's Dorm_

Adamantite and Alex both stood outside of the door, debating what to do.

"We should just knock," Adam debated. "We could very easily knock, and request for him to open it up."

"Or I could pick the lock with the Deck," Alex countered. "Very easy to do. Works just like the credit card trick." Adam gave a rather unamused expression over to Alex, and then got ready to knock.

"The fuck are you two doing?" A voice came. Both of them flinched slightly, not expecting to hear someone. They turned around, and saw the very man they sought out to see.

"Ah, Derek," Adam said gratefully. "We've been-."

"Standing outside of my dorm for five minutes, yes I know." Adam and Alex took a moment to pause, allowing Derek to smile slightly. "Yes, I decided to stand here and wait. What is it that you two want?"

"Ahem," Alex coughed loudly. "I wanted to finally meet the hybrid." He extended a hand, but Derek just left it there.

"Yes, I've met the Trickster before," Derek said angrily. "And, I prefer to be referred to as Derek, not the hybrid. Hybrid makes me sound as though I'm an object, not a person."

"Jeez, temper," Alex grumbled. Derek quickly brought his fist into Alex's stomach, and went to open his door. "Good punch," Alex wheezed. Before Derek could close the door, a card floated into the lock. "One thing," Alex requested, standing up slightly more straight. "Where did I meet you?"

"You were one of the trainers that my guardian decided to send to teach me. You only lasted a few days."

"Guardian?" Alex asked.

"Ozpin," Derek explained. "Derek Flame. I'm hurt that my name doesn't sound familiar." He watched the card fall to the floor, and slammed the door shut. He hadn't actually been trained by Alex Barraku, but he had heard of the Trickster before. Either way, he didn't feel like talking after Ginseng.

Alex and Adam just looked at the shut door, looking dumbfounded.

"I swear, I don't remember that," Alex said, trying to justify himself. "Where to now?"

"Sister," Adam explained briefly. "The whole reason that we came here."

"Oh, yeah, details that I forgot about."

**End: Sorry for the terrible ending, but this is where I wanted to go ahead and close. Question, comments, follows, favorites, Malachite, Black Knight, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	79. Chapter 79

Child of Grimm Ch. 79

**VOTING CLOSED! Malachite won, that story is up and two chapters in, Path to Redemption. Go check it out. Also, two mentions of a possible attack. I've been thinking about it, but clearly whatever is being planned requires a lot of preparation. So I'm gonna drag this baby on for a bit cause I enjoy torturing. Now, back to the story.**

Derek was just tossing up a ball of flames. Up, down. Up, down. Times like this, he wished his mind wasn't able to work so fast. It left him with very little to do, and too much time to think. Time to think only meant time for self doubt/loathing. _Where the hell is my team? _As if responding to his thoughts, Monica opened up the door.

"Hey D," she called out. "Gwen and Nathan are going out to get something. That gives us time alone."

"Wonderful," Derek called out. Monica walked over to him, and jumped on his chest. She let out a small cry of pain from her body making contact with his hardened scales. He just pulled her in, and shook his head.

"Remember the first day we met?" Monica asked. Derek snorted out, causing some flame to puff up {away from Monica, luckily}.

"How could I forget?" He responded. "That was the day I realized that you might be the reason that my secret would get out. Of course, that was only partially true in the end."

"Yeah," Monica sighed. "Good times."

_Flashback: Derek Flame: Age 13_

He packed his last bag, and gave one more dejected sigh in way of his guardian.

"I don't understand why I can't just stay here," he said angrily. "Learn all that I can from the teachers that you can supply me with, not risk the secret."

"Because the best staff works at Signal, and then Beacon," Ozpin replied. "Trust me, Derek. This will be good for you. Try to avoid fights, though. Your tail and wings will naturally want to assist in any bare knuckle brawling." Derek nodded, and tossed in his last hoodie.

"Might as well get this over with," he grumbled. "What do I tell people?"

"Simple," Ozpin replied. "Anyone with a brain would be able to realize that you simply have too many traits to be a serpent Faunus, or really just a Faunus. You're going to have to admit your Grimm nature." Derek puffed out flames in anger. "But, you should leave out your true Grimm heritage. Inform them that it's Taijitu." Derek sighed, and nodded. It would have to do.

_Signal Academy_

He stepped off of the airship, and pulled up his hood. _Low profile, low profile. They can't come after me if I keep a low profile. _He started to walk along the campus, doing his best to keep a solid distance between himself and every other student. He felt a presence hit his back, and he stumbled forward. He quickly gained his footing, but he felt his wings trying to stretch out to stabilize him. _This is going to take some adjusting._

"Ain't you gonna apologize there?" A male voice asked.

"Aren't you going to pick up a grammar book and learn some manners?" Derek countered. He turned enough to get them in his view, but his head remained concealed by the hood. He could pick out five people, each of them dressed in matching leather jackets. _A pack to deal with so soon? This must be my day._

"What ya talking about there tough guy?" The boy, the one who had presumably bumped into him.

"I was walking forward, and last I checked, humans don't have eyes on the back of their heads." The group all laughed, and the one in front placed his hand on Derek's shoulder. Derek was spun around before he could react, bringing his face around to their view.

"Oho," the boy said. "We got a Faunus, of course." _Anyone with a brain can figure out that you're not a snake Faunus, or just a Faunus in general. Apparently the brain part is required._

"Get a brain jackass," Derek hissed. "What Faunus looks like me?"

"Then what the fuck are you?" One of the girl's asked.

"A Child of Grimm," Derek said confidently. He realized that these five had to get in for a reason, but he had spent so much time training that his technique was very good. That wasn't even including his fist, which at that point were only covered in scales. He couldn't use fire, but that didn't make a big difference. "A King Taijitu, if you wish to get specific," Derek continued.

"Then let me pay you a warm welcome," the boy said. He swung around his fist into Derek's chest, and immediately yelled out in pain. _Almost forgot about my armor. Thank you for reminding me. _He swung around his fist into the boy's nose, breaking it immediately. He fell back, and landed with a thud.

"Who's next?" Derek challenged.

"STOP!" Someone yelled out. Derek and the other four looked over to see a girl in a yellow jacket looking at them. "Don't be fighting already, we just got here."

"He broke my nose," the leader of the group cried out. "I wanna make him pay."

"Clearly you can't you idiot," the girl countered. "Get up, get on your way, and just leave him alone." _Why is she helping me? I clearly don't need it. _Regardless, the group ran off to the hall.

"This ain't over!" The leader yelled out. "You hear me?" Derek just watched them leave, not caring at all.

"You okay?" The girl asked.

"Of course," Derek replied. "He got in one punch, and encountered my armor."

"Armor?" The girl asked. "Where the hell is that?"

"Underneath my clothing. I don't really need it, but I keep it for show." _Why am I telling her so much? _

"I'm Monica," the girl finally said. "Monica Rogue." She extended her hand, and Derek didn't shake it. His grip had one mode at that moment, and that was strong.

"I'd crush your hand," he admitted. "My name is Derek Flame."

"So uh," she started. "Wanna head over to the initiation together?" Derek opened his mouth to say yes, but he remembered something. _Those that get close to me, die. I can't do this to someone else as well._

"As much as that sounds," he said, adopting a dry tone. "I must refuse. You bailed me out, and for that I thanked you with my name and some conversation. But make no mistake for us being friendly." He turned, and started to walk off to the assembly hall. _That's going to get easier. It has to get easier._

_Present_

Derek realized that he had begun to steam, Monica having retreated off of him.

"You okay?" She asked, keeping a close eye on any flammable objects near him.

"Yes," Derek said, his thoughts snapping back to reality. "I'm just remembering the four years that I shut you out, and how awful that was."

"Was it really?" Monica asked, feeling some relief that he hadn't warmed up to her after four years.

"Of course. I thought that I had to keep anyone that I even thought I remotely cared about distant in fear of their lives." Monica breathed a sigh of relief, and walked back over to her partner. "I suggest you keep some distance still," Derek recommended. "I'm still not cooled down." Monica nodded, and changed her path to her own bed.

"So entrance is almost closed," Monica said casually. "You in yet?"

"Entrance?" Derek asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Vytal Festival Tournament, duh." Derek sighed, and looked around campus. "Registry is at Ozpin's office," Monica explained.

"Thank you," Derek said. He extended his wings, and jumped out the window.

_Hidden Complex_

Xander and Ginseng entered into the conference room, and looked at the faces.

"You didn't go on a supply run," Cinder said immediately. "How disappointing."

"I had to gather some first hand intel," Ginseng replied. "Second hand accounts do not work for me."

"I hope you don't expect to be paid for this," Torchwick added in.

"I expect to be paid for results, not intelligence gathering," Ginseng explained boredly.

"And I'm not going to deny the Toolman," Xander contributed.

"Quiet!" Cinder snapped. "You are in charge of the mercenaries, not Ginseng."

"Sure thing hot stuff," Xander replied, clearly amused. "I'll go ahead and deny the man holding a live grenade right now." Xander backed away from Ginseng. "Yeah, I'll do that."

"Wait," Adam called out. "A live grenade?" He looked over at Ginseng, and spotted the grenade.

"Relax, the pin's in," Ginseng said. "I just needed something else to add to my skill set, for the dragon. According to what I was able to see, and what Xander told me, the dragon can only be damaged by mass amounts of force or explosives. His scales reflect any bullets or blades. So, a grenade makes for a wonderful alternative to anything else." He put it away, and then looked back at them. "I want to discuss any future plans. Whatever it is that you hope to do, you aren't prepared for yet. The teams over at Beacon alone would be enough to keep you out of anywhere you wish to attack."

"So what is your proposal?" Cinder asked.

"The Vytal Tournament," Ginseng replied. "If we wait until after that takes place, any of the extra forces will be gone. Leaving us to deal with the brats."

**End: Flashback, stupidly short chapter, I'll promise that the next one will indeed be longer. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	80. Chapter 80

Child of Grimm Ch. 80

**I am amazed, happy, excited, and surprised to be thanking all of you for getting me up to 90 followers! Y'all are the best. Also, I decided to start tweeting little bits of rough dialogue ideas for the next chapters of my stories, so follow me on twitter { Codyknight22} if you want to get a sneak preview. Hastags will include StoryPreview, and then the title of the story {or perhaps not if it's a surprise}. If time does allot for it, I have an idea for something I really want to do today. Here's a hint, the document that I'm using on FF has the name of it {confused? Good}. But for now, here's this chapter with another reveal that I'm excited for.**

Ginseng impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk. Recently, he had been contacted by a close friend of his. He had expressed some interest in the hybrid, which made Ginseng temporarily excited. Unfortunately, this friend wasn't interested in really working _with _those that had hired him. A free spirit, a third party if you will, and he just was seeking a duel {**A/N**}. But perhaps he could exploit this interest, use it in his favor. No, it was best not to cross this man. It was _always _best to avoid crossing him. There was only one man that the Toolman feared.

And perhaps the hybrid needed to watch his back.

_And you're sure of this?_

_Of course, he should be heading out now._

_I'll prepare. Your payment should be on it's way._

_Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office_

He tossed another completed file to the side, and breathed a happy sigh of relief. He had finally finished up the last of his guardian paperwork of Derek, and now he might be able to relax. But of course, there was no rest for the wicked. He heard a loud knock on the door, and he winced slightly.

"Come in," he called out. The door opened up, and he saw a familiar scaled face. "Ah, Derek. Come in." Derek approached the desk, and took a seat.

"Sorry about my knock," Derek said immediately. "I can't knock any softer. Unless you wish to pad the door."

"How about we just pad your scales?" Ozpin offered. Derek laughed slightly, but shook his head.

"Not unless you wish for my strength to be diminished." He sat awkwardly for a moment, trying to adjust to the chair. It was, as always, too small for him. _Sometimes I wish that I hadn't received such drastic size changes. _

"So why are you here?" Ozpin finally asked, his patience having worn out.

"Oh," Derek said. "My apologies, Ozpin. I am here about the tournament."

"You're already signed up," Ozpin said immediately. "I figured that you had forgotten, so I took the liberties of... Giving an impressive looking document to get you in." Derek grinned at his guardian. Part of his training had included learning how to forge signatures, which was an undervalued ability for anyone wishing to infiltrate any criminal bases. Granted, it would be massively difficult for Derek to infiltrate anywhere as anyone but Derek Flame, except for perhaps Drake Flame. Regardless, he knew that Ozpin had most likely forged his signature and signed him up on a tournament.

"Thank you for that," Derek said, a smile written plainly on his face.

"It's the least I could do," Ozpin said dismissively. "I am your guardian after all. Speaking of which, I have some papers for you that I'm going to need you to fill out."

"Why didn't you?" Derek asked, reaching for a file that had his name on it.

"Forging can take some time," Ozpin explained. "I simply didn't have enough to get around to these documents as well." Derek opened them up, and looked over them. Simple questions about how he felt about Ozpin, whether or not he felt that Ozpin was a competent guardian, so on and so forth.

"I'll see you around," Derek said, placing the files inside of his hoodie.

"Goodbye Derek," Ozpin said. "I look forward to you being in the tournament. I'm sure you'll find the competition to be incredibly tight."

"As always, my guardian." Derek stood to leave, and he flexed out his wings.

He walked across the front lawn. Since the urgency had been pulled out of the situation, Derek no longer felt the need to fly. They needed some rest as well. Despite how often he liked to use them, they still had their limits.

He noticed someone standing by a tree, their face partially concealed by the shadows.

"Hello?" Derek called out, his right hand lowering to his sword hilt and his left rising to the spear. "Adamantite, is that you?" There was no response, just a hardened silence. "Sal?" A continued amount of silence. "Perhaps Blake?" A slight movement, but continued silence. "Alright, who hired you?"

"No one hired me, dear fool," a deep voice finally called out. He finally moved out of the shadows, allowing Derek to get a slight view of his wardrobe. He wore a black cloak, with the hood pulled up so that you couldn't see his face. He wore a black shirt, and black pants. _Wonder what his answer for favorite color would be. _Derek used his night vision to peer through the darkness of his pulled up hood. His eyes and hair both matched the rest of his wardrobe, black.

"Who the hell are you?" Derek asked.

"Names are only of importance to fools and people hunting," the man in black said boredly. "Since you appear to be neither, you shouldn't care." Derek drew his weapons, and puffed out some flames. "And that only confirms your identity, Mr. Drake Flame."

"Why are you here?" Derek asked again.

"Because you interest me, in so many ways."

"Listen, I'm just trying to get back to my team. And-."

"Oh but of course," the man in black said, effectively cutting him off. "I would expect nothing less from you, Mr. Flame."

"Answer my question before I roast you," Derek said hostily.

"Which one?" The man in black asked, clearly amused by Derek's threats. _This guy is getting on my nerves. _

"All of them, now start answering."

"IF you're so insistent," the man in black finally said. "My name, or my name as far as you're concerned, is the Black Knight. I mean you no ill will, nor do I wish to kill you. I simply seek a duel." Derek took a step back, and leveled his weapons. No where on this mans figure showed any sign of a weapon being concealed, even for how stupidly good the folding technology was at that point in time.

"With what?" Derek asked, grinning. "You wish to duel, yet I see nothing that gives me confidence that you can muster up a weapon."

"Then allow me to show you," the Black Knight said. He pushed his cloak back, and smiled. The cloak started to shift, almost flip around, across his entire body. The soft textures of the cloth was replaced by the hard glean of metal, causing Derek to take a step back. Soon, his opponent was covered head to toe in black, knights armor.

He reached behind him, and pulled off a box shape from his armor. The box started to unfold, until a black halberd rested in it's place. He stretched out his arm, and let a sword unfold from underneath his arm. _I had to open up my mouth._

"Ah shit," Derek muttered.

"Haha," the Black Knight bellowed. "So you see the marvels of technology. Now, do we begin?" Despite the intimidating presence of the Black Knight's armor and weapons set, Derek still felt as though he had the upped hand. The armor could be broken, or damaged, and his weapons showed no signs of being huge blunt force threats or explosive threats.

Derek decided to respond with actions rather then words. He blew forward a small stream of flames, coating the blade of his sword and spear. He used his semblance to lock them on to the weapons.

"I'll assume yes," the Black Knight said. "So we begin." The Black Knight ran forward, at a pace that he shouldn't of have been able to muster when he's dressed head to toe in knight's armor. He swung around the pike end of his halberd, forcing Derek to fly up into the air. "Cheap tricks will only carry you so far," he said threateningly.

"They've carried me this far," Derek said menacingly. "Try this on." He blew forward a column of flames at the Black Knight, ones that he expected to reach his opponent. The Black Knight easily jumped out of the way, and raised up his sword. Derek flew down, billowing flames as he went. The Black Knight raised up the flat of his axe to stop the fire, and just kept observing.

Derek finally landed, and looked angrily at the Black Knight. _His weapons shouldn't be that strong! No matter, no one can match the strength of a Taituo. _He ran forward, and lifted up his sword. Derek swung around the blade, and felt it make solid contact with the Black Knight's blade. Derek pushed hard against the resistance, but felt it being matched perfectly. The Black Knight couldn't force off the blade, no matter how hard he tried. Derek finally blew out a column of flames, heating up the Black Knight's helmet.

His opponent backed off, and frantically took off his helmet. He looked over at Derek, and smiled cruelly.

"You provided a good fight," he said calmly. "That is all I wished for. This is not, however, the last you've seen of me." He put on his helmet again, and shifted back into his cloak. The Black Knight turned, and began to run away. _This guy's gonna be irritating, isn't he? _Derek just turned around, and started to walk to his dorm.

_Team DRGN's Dorm_

Gwen and Nathan raised up their bets by three crystals, while Monica chose to do so by four.

"So Moni is going up by four," Nathan said, looking down at his hand. "Either that means that she's confident she'll take this hand, or she feels as though bluffing is necessary." Gwen heard her partner's words, but they weren't things that she wasn't already comprehensive of. She stared down Monica, her gray eyes taking careful note of every facial expression that Monica gave.

Perhaps Monica shouldn't of have volunteered to join in on a bluffing game with Gwen. Only one person had ever surpassed the girl's mind games, and that was the equally quiet and decisive Ren. Oh, what the hell was she doing?

"Welp, I fold," Nathan said. He tossed down his hand, and sighed. "Don't know why I added in those crystals." The door opened up, and Derek frantically walked in.

"You guys aren't going to believe what happened," he said immediately. "I-."

"Hey, D, have a little respect," Nathan said. "These girls are locked in an intense battle of the minds."

"You must be joking," Derek said dejectedly. "Fine, I can wait."

"Good sport," Nathan said, patting his Grimm friend on the back.

Monica and Gwen just continued to lock eyes. Both of them were just trying to get their opponent to fold, perhaps saving them the fear that the other had a perfect hand. Gwen felt completely calm. Nothing in Monica's facial expressions gave her a reason to feel that concerned. Monica on the other hand, total nervous wreck. She had a hard time doubting that Gwen was somehow one step ahead of her, prepared to get her no matter what she did. Time to play through.

Both of them laid out their hands, and Gwen threw up her hands in triumph.

"Never try to out bluff me," Gwen said proudly. She pulled in the winnings, and started to pull them into a bag. "So what's up with you, Mr. Gloomy."

"Flame," Derek said boredly. "And I met one of the strangest damn people. Some guy called the Black Knight."

"Black Knight, huh?" Monica said. "My parents made a car for someone that used his name as the delivery once."

"How do you remember that?"

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiii," Monica stopped, realizing that she had nothing else to go in. "Yeah, I don't actually know that one."

"Anyways, I just fought against him. I don't know what his deal is, but he certainly is an interesting person."

**End: HE'S BACK IN ACTION BABY! For those of you who do not know, the Black Knight was my first OC, in my first FF. Needless to say, he has a special place in my heart. The circumstances are very similar to how I introduced the Black Knight to the world of RWBY, and the A/N is just me saying that anyone could figure it out. Anyways, one more big thing planned out for today {not necessarily for what you'd expect}. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is massively appreciated. **


	81. Chapter 81

Child of Grimm Ch. 81

**So I just now realized that about four or five chapters after my whole "gonna roll with these characters," thing, I added in the Black Knight. Listen, I was gonna shoehorn this guy in there no matter what. The OP Black Knight fits right in as a foe for Derek. Also, I love him and I was sad he didn't win the vote {though, I love Path to Redemption} so he exists in this story now. Deal with it. Also, my surprise yesterday was that I got the Few JWLS of Fighters going again. My first full team story, and some stuff happened. Give that a read if you haven't already. Still saying my twitter handle to boost my notoriety, Codyknight22.**

Ginseng and Xander both were deep in discussion, trying to work over any future details of their plans. Ginseng had thrown out a name, and Xander had responded by completely skipping over it. The prospect of him working for any one was absolutely absurd. Xander knew it, and Ginseng knew it.

"Sir," one of the guards said, speaking to both of them. "They wish to speak with you."

"Tell them my arms are cut off," Xander said boredly. "Oh, and add on a layer of cardiac arrest."

"Very funny Xander," Cinder's voice came. "You appear to have both of them."

"Quick healer," Xander said, not at all surprised to see Cinder already present. "What's up hot stuff?"

"The Black Knight," Cinder said immediately. "I know that you both have worked with him, and we know that he had a fight with Derek."

"Listen here Ms. Fall," Ginseng said, activating his claws to sharpen them. "I know that you see that name, and you think of a man with a mass amount of power that can potentially be hired. When I see that name, I see a man that is best to not be crossed, gotten in the way of, and just left to do what he pleases. His fight with Drake was nothing more then a preliminary testing. I'm sure that he'll be back for more, and this time the results will be vastly different."

"How can a man be that powerful?" Cinder asked, leaning down to sit at the table.

"Simple," Xander added in. "My semblance gives me the ability to dissect the future, Tooly over here has something of the same sorts with his All Seeing Eyes, or whatever. The Black Knight, he's the only one alive right now that has this semblance. Preliminary fights are a big deal for him, and an even bigger deal for everyone fighting him in the future."

"So yes," Ginseng continued. "I do know who the Black Knight is, and he is a man best to not be crossed."

"I'm with the Toolamn," Xander contributed. "I'd rather not get mixed up with the Black Knight."

"So the one that defeated him is no concern?" Cinder asked. "Really? None at all?"

"Oh he won the preliminary," Ginseng contributed. "But round two, that'll go much differently."

_Beacon Academy: DRGN's Dorm_

Derek tossed a ball of flames at the wall, and stopped it just before hand. He dispersed the flames, and then threw another one at the wall.

"You have a lot of confidence in yourself," Nathan remarked, his eyes staying very close to the wall.

"No, I have a lot of confidence in you to put out the flames if they get too bad," Derek replied easily.

"Why not have Monica or Gwen do it? Burn down the whole school?" Derek grinned, and then looked around at the dorm.

"Well they left to get some food," Derek said slowly. "And as good as they are, I don't think that they can stop a fire from that distance."

"Speaking of which, shouldn't they be back right now? Did your girlfriend steal my friend?" Derek shrugged, and peaked out the window.

"If so, at least she was courteous enough to bring her back," Derek remarked.

"Moni is nothing if not courteous." Derek thought back to several conversations, and just allotted himself a smile. _Perhaps not the best word to associate with Moni. Or, just not a word that I'd normal associate with Moni._

Derek calmly stood, and walked over to the bathroom. He entered, and looked at himself in the mirror. His complexion hadn't really changed in the way that he assumed, but the feelings inside of him confirmed one thing. It was that time of year again. All reptiles shed, and he could feel that he was about to begin the process. He closed his eyes, and started to heat up his body. He opened them, and felt across his scene. In several years of getting used to this, he still attempted to burn off his other layer of skin. _This will get ugly._

"Derek?" Monica's voice called out. "You in there?"

"Yup," he replied, scratching at his neck.

"Okay, good. I had to make sure that the smell of burning things wasn't something else." Derek just walked over, and opened up the door.

He calmly grabbed his package of take out, and started to eat quickly.

"So what's up with the burning?" Gwen asked, studying over Derek carefully. "Normally, if you just want to remove some grime you do it out here."

"Shedding," he said annoyedly. "My single least favorite part of being a Grimm hybrid."

"That's what you pick?" Nathan asked. "You're like this, your parents are dead, rest in peace Mr. and Mrs. Flame, and this is what you picked?"

"There last names weren't Flame," Derek said quickly. "And yes, this is what I pick. I have to do this every year, and it generally lasts anywhere from one week to one month. Look forward to living with me, cause it's going to get a whole lot worse."

"No more cuddling, huh?" Nathan asked. Derek glared over at him, and reached up to behind his neck. He flexed out his claw, and started to pry some of the skin off.

"At least you have your handy dandy new claws to assist you," Monica added in.

"You are the three worst people for comfort," Derek said, continuing to scratch at his neck.

"We shoot high," Gwen added in. "Also, I haven't made any remarks about your parents or claws, so do I overtake Nathan for favorite people again?"

"Yes Gwen." She gave a quick fist pump, and then twirled up some wind.

"Woo hoo. Suck it Nathan."

"Should of have stopped before I mentioned the parents," Nathan said, shaking his head. Derek finally extended his back spikes, and ripped one of them out. He quickly melted it down, and started to peel off his dead skin.

"Whhhhhhyyyyyy?" He cried out.

"Don't know," Monica added in. "Want me to try and run an electrical current through you? See how much that can solve?" Derek just held out his arm, and Monica stood up eagerly.

One thing that she studied in Signal, and took as an extra credit in Beacon, was involving electrical maintenance and electro shock therapy. She constantly tried to seek out someone to try it on. Believe it or not, no one ever really took her up on that offer. Now, she finally had probable cause. A few hundred volts of electricity would most likely speed up the process of dead scale cells shedding off. Or it might not, she had never studied anything to tell her one way or another.

"Alright," Monica said, rubbing her hands together. "Let's jump start this process into-."

"You're making it weird," Derek complained. "Just, zap me and get it over with." Monica's expression deflated slightly, but picked right back up as she walked over to him. She placed her hand on his arm, and closed her eyes. She felt the air begin to buzz as the electricity in the area began to funnel towards her. She focused all of the volts into his arm, causing Derek to flinch slightly. She lifted it up, and leaned away from him.

"Aaaaaaaand?" She asked. Derek stretched around, and felt part of his skin fall off.

"I think that you might of have burned off what I cannot," Derek remarked. "Thanks."

"Can I-?"

"You can do it tomorrow," Derek said. _The things I do to keep her happy. _Monica pumped her fist again, and smiled gladly. Derek walked over to his bed, and jumped into his bed. "Night," he said, choosing not to say another word. He closed his eyes, and waited on something that hadn't happened in a while.

_Derek_

He walked through a large, open field, and just smiled. _So it seems like he has decided to revert back to old location._

"I sort of missed this place as well," Derek said, his voice echoing off of the empty field.

"Good to know," another voice greeted. Adam materialized in front of him. Derek didn't even react, he just kept calm. He had full anticipated this event.

"So what's up?" Derek asked. "You get lonely."

"No, I simply realized that an associate of ours has taken interest to you," Adam explained. "We'd like to offer you a quick way out of it."

"Who, the Black Knight?" Derek asked, realizing exactly what he was talking about.

"Oh, but of course. He's a man that you should be grateful to take an out on."

"Nice try. I'm sure he's just another one of your mercenaries." Adam smiled, and calmly folded his arms.

"Oh, how we wish that he was working for us," Adam began. "Do you know who the Black Knight is?"

"Can't say I do," Derek replied, his muscles remaining calm.

"The Black Knight is a man who has made a life through becoming the most powerful man he could be," Adam began. "Abandoned at age six, he was taken into an unknown location. He changed his name, and refused to go by his old one. Enemies have been made, but dispatched with. The Black Knight is not someone that you want hunting you. Luckily for you, he isn't. He wishes for another opportunity to prove himself, one that has revealed itself through you. If you let us take you in, we can strip down your power. He will no longer want you. What do you say?"

"What an interesting offer," Derek said boredly. "Unfortunately for you, I am not an idiot. I'll take my chances with the fight." Adam's image flickered, and he took a step back.

"I wish you luck," he said, his voice fading. "Because I still want you alive."

Derek woke up, and looked around him. Why was Adam offering him a way out against the Black Knight? That made him nothing, but concerned.

**End: Another short chapter, and I'm getting frustrated with myself. Sorry, but that's the way shit goes sometimes. So Codyknight22 on twitter, questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	82. Chapter 82

Child of Grimm Ch. 82

**Epicman, just stop reading my story and stop keeping up with it. I know you don't like it, so just stop. I don't care about views at all. Twitter, Codyknight22, go follow that for any story updates/previews. Also, I have a poll going on for A Harsh Reality where if that gets to 80 followers and 55 favorites, I will add in some more lemon. Go do that if you want me too. As for this story, start reading.**

Derek impatiently had Monica burn off some more, and smiled gratefully. It had been two days since shedding had began, and all of his skin was almost shed. Sparing was the next class of the day, which made him encourage Monica to burn it off quicker.

"Derek," Monica said impatiently. "I like you, I like you a lot, I'm dating you. But I have to spar too."

"One more zap," Derek pleaded. "I can tell that we're close." Monica sighed, and ran one last current through him. "No, maybe it was one more."

"Oh, for fucks sake," Nathan said. He stood up, and pulled out his axe. "Where is it? Where is the skin." Derek turned around, and let Nathan absorb his back. "Oh jeez, you sure that you're not dying D? That doesn't look good."

"Just hit it!" Derek finally yelled. Nathan sighed, and took a huge hack at his back. Derek was pushed forward slightly, but he eagerly turned to face Nathan.

"Got it," Nathan said proudly. "Well, most of it. I'm sure that a quick fight with Gaio will solve that issue."

"Gaius," Gwen called out.

"YOU'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THIS!" Nathan yelled out. Derek just sighed, and shook his head. He quickly picked up his weapons, and started to try and pick off the remaining skin.

"Hate to rush you D," Nathan said, apologetic the last thing on his voice. "But we got some sparing." Derek sighed, and grabbed his weapons off of the ground. He looked out the window, and did a dead fall out the back of it. He quickly caught the wind with his wings, and flew through a tree to get rid of any of the remaining dead skin.

"I forgot that he could do that," Nathan muttered.

_Sparing: Goodwitch_

The rest of DRGN ran into the room, and took a quick seat. Derek was already waiting, internally laughing at his team for running just a little bit late.

"What took you so long?" He whispered over to them.

"Very funny," Monica muttered. "Next time, try not to get a claw stuck in the door." Derek lifted up his hand, and displayed that all but one of the claws was present.

"How accidents happen," Derek mused.

"Class," Goodwitch yelled out. "It seems that despite my best efforts, we still have one person remaining undefeated."

"WOO!" Nathan yelled out.

"Shutup," Derek muttered. "You're going to get in trouble."

"Nah, I'm just gonna blame it on you."

"So, I had to call in some backup," Goodwitch continued. "Team JWLS, will you take the stage?" From the crowd, the four members of JWLS all began to walk towards the floor. "All of them have remained virtually untouched in their three years at Beacon," Goodwitch continued. "They've never had to fight against each other, so it's time to end the reign of Mr. Flame." Derek sighed, and started to strip out of his hoodie.

"Mr. Flame, would you please accelerate this process?" Goodwitch requested. Derek mumbled something, and started to pull off his jeans. He finally managed to get everything off, prompting a quick flight to the stage.

"Jesus," William muttered, his accent still pulling through. "He really is that big." Derek landed across from them, and raised up his weapons.

"Who would like to begin?" Goodwitch asked. Joan drew her sword, and then pulled out her shield. Having done some research on team JWLS after meeting them, he knew that Joan only had simple weaponry. Unless she was as strong as Yang, there was no way that her pure strength would break his defense. Derek put his spear away, and calmly flexed out his spikes.

"Oh shit," Joan mumbled, taking a step away from him.

"Okay, time to begin," Goodwitch called out, making sure that Joan didn't have any second thoughts. Derek bent his legs, and raised up his sword. Joan started out by raising up her weapons, and took off straight at him.

Derek ducked out of the way, and quickly swung around his fist into her back. Joan stumbled forward, but brought the flat of her shield into his chin. Derek's head snapped back slightly, but he recovered quickly and kicked Joan in the stomach. She flew back, and rolled down on her stomach. A loud groan was audible, allowing Derek to just smile. He walked over to where she was, and just left his sword at her back.

"And Ms. Arc is unable to end Derek's reign," Goodwitch sighed. She started to think that perhaps Ozpin's tests would fail. "And since he hasn't yet taken a hit to his aura, who's next?" William hefted up his sword, and wicked at the rest of his team.

"Let's save the heavy hitters for last, shall we?" William asked, laughing with every word.

"Well then, Mr. Wallace," Goodwitch announced. "Prepare to fight." William spiraled out a metallic targe, and then leveled it at Derek.

This time, Derek took out his spear as well. _The length of his claymore is probably going to be a good asset. Though, I don't recall any of his weapons having a firearm capability._

"Fight!" Goodwitch yelled out. William levitated himself up into the air, and leveled the targe out at Derek. _Why is he doing that? _The blade of the targe started to glow, and a small beam of red dust fired off at Derek. He quickly took off into the air, and met it with a blast of flames. William took a glance at his aura, and his brow furrowed. Derek's aura wasn't going down like he had thought it would. Actually, it wasn't going down at all. Derek noticed the look, and quickly dive bombed straight at William. He knocked the Scotsman to the ground, and leveled his spear at him.

"You're fast," William mumbled.

"And you need to do some research," Derek suggested.

"A second win for Mr. Flame," Goodwitch said boredly. "And we still have yet to see a hit to his aura. Mr. Thracia and Mr. Brave, which one of you wants to take a shot next?" Spartacus unfolded his trident, and activated a water net.

"I got this," he said, his cocky grin worn plainly. Derek raised up his spear, and quickly puffed out some flames. Once again, he had done some prior research on Spartacus. A former big shot slave fighter turned hunter in training, he was the best versed in one on one fighting. His main asset was his semblance, semblance breaker. Luckily for Derek, none of his attacks were reliant on his semblance. _I won't be crafting any pictures while I'm fighting him, but I can live without it._

"Fight!" Goodwitch yelled out. Spartacus threw his net down, and raised up his hand. Derek waited for his hand to be lowered, and then promptly puffed out a small stream of flames.

"How in the fuck?" Spartacus asked. He growled, and then popped open the middle prong on his trident. "Try this on for size." He fired off a round, and Derek easily dove out of the way. He looked up in time to see a water net flying straight at him. Without adequate time to move out of the way, Derek just let himself get a dousing. He shook off part of it, and looked up to see Spartacus slam the prongs of his trident into Derek's stomach.

He tried to blow out some flames, but the dampness prevented him from doing so. Spartacus grinned, and fired off another round. Derek felt his scales crack slightly, forcing him to take action. He quickly swung around the flat end of his spear, and caught Spartacus right across the face. The monkey Faunus stumbled back slightly, giving Derek ample room to rip one of his spikes off. He quickly threw it forward, and Spartacus easily dodged out of the way.

"Night try there flame boy," Spartacus said cockily. "But you're going to have to be quicker then that." Derek blew out a sold stream of flames {his body having evaporated enough of the water for him to be able to use the flames}, and Spartacus took off in a sprint. Derek continued to slightly alter the angle of the fire, getting Spartacus right to the spot he wanted.

Spartacus finally reached the point, and Derek stopped blowing out flames, and took several steps forward. Noticing the absence of the heat, Spartacus instinctively turned around to see where it went. When he faced forward again, he saw a scaled fist slam into his face. The Faunus flew back, and and landed with a hard thud. He lifted his head up to see a white blade at his neck, and a waved blade next to it.

"Another win for Mr. Flame," Goodwitch said boredly. "You continue to underestimate your opponents."

"Only time it's ever hurt me," he mumbled, taking the hand that Derek was offering him.

"Next time be faster," Derek taunted.

"Don't matter," Spartacus replied confidently. "Next up is the big guy, Leo. Give 'em hell Leo." Leonidas just smiled, and picked up his weapons.

This was the fight that had Derek the most concerned. Two things were effective against his scales, one being explosives and the other being brute force. Unfortunately, Leonidas had strength in massive quantities.

"Fight!" Goodwitch yelled out. Leonidas hefted up his shield, and leveled his spear straight ahead. Derek circled around, waiting on his chance to move forward. Unfortunately, Leonidas wasn't moving. Derek blew out a column of flames, and it made contact with Leo's shield. He quickly activated his semblance, reflection. All of the flames circled around, and sped straight towards Derek. He just sat and took the heat, since the fire wasn't able to effect him. He hoped that his plan would work, but there was no guarantee.

Leonidas finally started to push forward, moving along a slower pace. He figured that Derek was trying to heat up his shield and burn his hands, but Leo had an incredible tolerance to pain. He kept along the path, until he could tell that Derek was just in front of him. He quickly stretched his shield forward, but felt it meet no resistance. He quickly pivoted, and swung his shield around. He could feel the rim of the shield make contact with Derek's stomach, sending the hybrid flying back.

Derek quickly rolled up to his feet, and looked at Leo angrily. He had figured out his strategy quickly, and to make matters worse it hadn't actually worked. He changed around his tactics, and tossed aside his spear and sword.

"How about we settle this without our spears?" Derek asked, trying to appeal to Leo's warrior nature.

"How about no?" Leo countered. Derek shrugged, and flew up into the air. He quickly flew over to Leo, and let out a breath of flames to coat over him. Leo easily blocked it out, and then waited for them to pass. As soon as they did, he threw his shield straight at Derek. The attack caught him unprepared, sending Derek crashing to the ground.

Derek got up, and saw that that Leo had already retrieved his shield. He growled angrily, but flexed out his claws. _Not this time. _He took off in a wild sprint, and Leo just angled around his shield. Just as Derek reached him, he swung around the shield to try and catch him. Derek jumped over the rim of the shield, and swung around his fist straight at Leo's head. He heard the clang, and looked to see Leo slightly dazed. Before he could regain his composure, Derek picked up Leo and held his claws at Leo's throat.

"What a fight," Goodwitch muttered. "But Derek adapted to win." The bell rang, prompting all of the students to leave. "That is class for today, Mr. Flame somehow remains unbeaten." _Thank god for that._

_Knight's Castle_

He tapped around on his scroll, and grinned cruelly. So his pray remained undefeated, wonderful. That just gave him more incentive to win the second match up. And even better, his win would look so much impressive.

**End: Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is always appreciated.**


	83. Chapter 83

Child of Grimm Ch. 83

**Alright, I'm going to tell you this right now. Belladonna's Spite is NOT a DIRECT reference to Blake. Some of you might understand me saying this, but please don't say what it is that I'm referencing in the reviews {no spoilers}. Thank you to the guest who congratulated me on breaking the OC record. I'm also saying thank you to everyone because I'm at 95 followers and 75 favorites! I can't believe it, I really can't. Thank you to everyone, so much. www . ****twitter . c om ** **Codyknight22 for a twitter url {remove spaces, add in slash} cause I'm announcing something on Friday via twitter.**

He walked out front of the school, his hood pulled over his head. Perhaps a prior victory would discourage most, but now he had several days to recover, study, prepare. Plus, he had been generous enough to allow the dragon a day to recover.

"Can I help you?" Someone asked. He turned, and saw a girl in a red hood standing near him.

"Yes," he said slowly. "I'm looking for an old friend of mine. I heard he was doing well in Beacon, so I decided to pay him a visit."

"Who?" The girl asked, looking ready to lead him.

"Derek Flame," he said, testing out how much the girl trusted him.

"Okay," the girl said, ignoring any sense of suspicion. "I'm Ruby, by the way. Who are you?"

"Edward," he said, mentally checking off another name from his alias list. A new one every time, and no one could ever track you.

_Team DRGN's Dorm_

Derek tossed up another ball of flame, and looked back down at Nathan's paper.

"That's wrong," he said instantly.

"GIVE ME A MINUTE!" Nathan yelled. "I need to think this through. I'm still working this out."

"This is a read and pick out the right answer," Derek said boredly. "How is it possible to work it out."

"I-." Nathan paused. "I hate you, you know that?" Derek nodded, and smiled to himself. _And another win for the dragon._

Monica and Gwen just watched on, smiling. Monica was an excellent student, and Gwen was only behind Derek for top marks in class. Nathan was the only one struggling at all in class. He just didn't have a great focus. But, both of them had already done their time for the day.

A knock was heard at the door, and Derek sighed.

"Moni, can you get that?" He asked. Monica nodded, and popped open the door.

"Hey Ruby," she greeted. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Edward," Ruby's voice came. "He's, uh, what did you say you were?"

"An old friend of Derek's," a deep voice came.

"Edward?" Derek asked. _I don't know an Edward. But that voice sounds familiar... _He looked over at the door, and he felt his heart drop. "You," he said, his voice low. Derek stood up, and flexed out his claws.

"I would like to preface this by saying that my name isn't Edward," the man in the black cloak said. "My name, is something that you shouldn't care about."

"Um," Ruby said. "Should I of have not done this?

"Perhaps not," the man in black said. "But, I can be very persuasive." Derek drew his sword and spear, and leveled it straight at the man. "Oh, no need for that. I still don't mean you harm."

"I know your type," Derek growled. "You've come for revenge."

"Revenge is a petty emotion," the man in black said dismissively. "It motivates poor decisions, poor fighting, and stupidity. I work to be efficient."

"Ahem," Nathan coughed. "You gentlemen are giving me a lovely excuse to not be working, but who the fuck is this guy?"

"Remember that guy I told you about?" Derek asked. Nathan nodded. "Welp, here you go."

"Should I leave?" Ruby asked, still standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"No, I wish for you to spectate," the Black Knight said. "Mr. Flame, how about we take this outside?" Derek looked over at the window, and took a dive out. The Black Knight watched him fall, and started to walk outside. No sense in wasting his aura then.

_Ozpin's Office_

He set down his files, and smiled happily. Everything was finally finished, all of his work. He checked around on his scroll, and looked around at the school. He noticed Derek diving out the window, and calmly landing on the ground. 'That seems strange,' he thought. He watched as someone else emerged from the building, and his brow furrowed. He was going to need to interfere, before things got out of hand.

_Beacon Front Lawn_

Derek tossed off his hoodie and jeans, waiting on the Black Knight to show up. Derek turned around, and saw that his opponent was standing calmly. _Okay, why is he so calm? __He's just trying to get into my head. _

"Are you quite done preparing Mr. Flame?" The Black Knight asked. Derek nodded, determined to not let him get into his head. "Good." The Black Knight let his armor unfold, and he pulled out his weapons.

"What the fuck?" Nathan asked, backing away quickly from the Black Knight.

"Let us begin," the Black Knight said calmly. Derek blew out a solid column of flames, trying to get at his opponent early. The Black Knight stood calmly, waiting on the flames to come close. Derek lost sight of his opponent behind the flames, encouraging him that the Black Knight was through. As soon as the flames cleared, the Black Knight was still standing. _How? _

"As I have stated previously, cute party tricks will only get you so far," the Black Knight said boredly. Derek growled, and flew forward. He puffed out another ball of flames. The Black Knight stared at it, and it froze in midair. Derek stopped mid-flight, and watched as the fire was thrown back at him. _How? _

"Mine is so much more then a cute party trick," the Black Knight said menacingly. Derek ran forward, and swung around his sword at the Black Knight's stomach. He easily grabbed the blade of the sword, and threw Derek into a nearby wall. Derek managed to shakily stand up, and he looked over at his opponent. He ran forward again, and this time the Black Knight brought around the flat of his sword into Derek's chest. Derek fell back, and this time he had serious second thoughts about getting up.

"Admitting defeat so soon?" The Black Knight asked. It wasn't taunting, it was just an honest question.

"Yes," Derek groaned. The Black Knight sighed, and reached his hand down to help him up.

"Disappointed that round two wasn't more of a challenge," he said sadly. "But, none the less, you will hear from me again." The Black Knight tossed over Derek's damaged body to Monica, and then turned to run off.

**End: God damn, I really love the Black Knight. Favorite OC list goes BK, Derek, Nathan, Gwen, Monica {sorry}, and that's the top 5 for me. This is stupidly short, but I needed to setup some stuff. I will admit, I'm getting concerned about the potential future longevity of this story. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


	84. Chapter 84

Child of Grimm Ch. 84

**Someone did say that they were fine if this story came around to the finale. Well, on twitter earlier today, I did say that this story is indeed on it's home stretch. I've gone on for 84 chapters, and I don't know where exactly it will end. But, the conclusion for this particular plot with Mr. Flame and company is finally coming to a close. I have an ending planned, I have my roles planned, and I'm excited to eventually call it quits. But, this story is still up for right now. I'll monologue later, but for now, onto the story.**

The Black Knight walked up to the location that his friend had requested he visit, and looked up. It seemed out of the way, hidden, secluded, everything that he would expect from the people that would employ his friend. He swung open the massive doors, and entered inside.

He made his way through the halls, taking a brief moment to acknowledge everyone that walked by him. Until he reached the room with the name _Ginseng _carved over the top. He opened up the door, and walked over to the table. He pulled out his chair, and sat down.

"Hello there my old friend," Ginseng said. He had his tool belt resting in his hand, and he was lining it with grenades.

"Hello Ginseng," the Black Knight replied easily. "I see you're making some modifications." Ginseng nodded, and casually tossed up his grenade.

"The dragon poses a lot of issues for us, so I needed to upgrade." He set down the belt, and temporarily revealed his spear.

"Belladonna's Spite," the Black Knight mused. "Still holding onto that?"

"A promise is a promise," Ginseng continued. "I said that I would kill those that they cared for the most."

"I've already explained to you, they only care for themselves. Go after them if you so choose, but leave their family out of it." Ginseng smiled, and just stared down his friend.

"A little bit of James left in you?" He asked. The Black Knight smiled, and the image of an arm came down at Ginseng's legs. He instinctively lowered his arms, and the Black Knight brought his real fist into his face. He could hear a crunch on Ginseng's face, and the mercenary looked down at his nose.

"Never refer to me that way," the Black Knight growled. "James is no longer who I am. It's been that way for almost as long as we've known each other." Ginseng nodded, and tried to snap his nose back into place. He could see black aura banners come from his compatriot, and go straight at his nose. Ginseng could feel it being healed, and it was completely painless.

"Even without the damn armor you can do that," Ginseng said, gently feeling his nose.

"Just because you can't see my armor, doesn't mean that I'm not wearing it," the Black Knight explained. He quickly shifted into his armor, and then back into his cloak. "Any leads on them?" He asked, pointing down at the spear.

"Nothing yet," Ginseng said. "Why are you so interested?"

"I've wanted them dead for longer then you, Mr. Eihenjar. The Toolman is a nickname for you, while the Black Knight is all that I am. They forced their hand, and now I'm this." The Black Knight pulled back his hood, and sighed. "I heard about the other one, Blake I believe." Ginseng nodded, and continued to sort through his gear. "What condition will she be left in?"

"Undetermined," Ginseng explained briefly. "But, a contract is a contract. If they specify her demise, then I must follow through with it."

"And the dragon's fate is pre-determined?"

"Him and the rest of the Grimm Children. Cinder has been very specific about the termination of the project. The team that myself and Xander have been left with is very good." The Black Knight nodded, and stood up.

"A fun visit as always," he said briefly. "But I must get back to the castle. Inform me of any word on the Belladonna's, and their daughter."

"Jesus, the way you're saying that it's like you're detached from that situation," Ginseng mused. He suddenly felt the cold blade of a dagger underneath his throat, and he found himself staring the cold eyes of his friend down.

"One must always keep their tongue around me," he threatened. "Like I said, James was before you ever really knew me. I am not fully removed from this situation for the sole reason that I want to see the Belladonna parents dead. As for the girl, who cares? I certainly don't."

"You're a cold man," Ginseng said softly. He felt the blade press closer, his aura only just keeping the blade out of his skin. "I never said that was a bad thing!" He said quickly. The pressure eased off slightly, and the Black Knight just stared him down."But still, saying that you don't care in unexpected, even from you."

"Why should I care?" The Black Knight asked. He pulled away the blade, and quickly placed it on one of the two external sheaths that he contained. "It's not like I knew her." He flexed out his hand, and poured out some aura. He quickly formed the name Belladonna, and then slowly added in some letters. _James Belladonna _rested above his open hands, and he smiled to himself. "It's a thing of the past," he said softly. He quickly dispatched with the letters, and then turned to leave.

"Your welcome for not killing you," Ginseng contributed. The Black Knight snorted, and kept going. Like he could be killed. Either way, despite the fact that he had blood on one side and friendship on the other, he had no favorites. The winner would be the winner, and he was left for scavenging.

_Team DRGN's Dorm_

Monica, Gwen, Nathan, and Ruby helped him into his room. They slowly dragged him along to the bed, and laid the injured Grimm down.

"Do you need anything?" Monica asked. "Do you want me to call Roxanne?"

"No," Derek groaned. "Definitely not that. I'll be fine, I just need some time."

"We can call Joan," Ruby contributed.

"Why would we do that?" Derek asked. "Isn't he on a mission?"

"Not Jaune, Joan," Ruby specified. _Big help there._

"Do it," Derek requested. Ruby nodded, and went to make a call. Derek just banged his head against the backboard, and groaned in frustration. Somehow, the Black Knight was able to throw him against a wall with ease. Plus, he resisted Derek's fire. How was any of this possible? A faint knock was heard at the door, and Monica quickly answered it.

"Alright, I'm here," Joan groaned. "These two wouldn't leave me alone, so I dragged them with." Derek lifted his head up, and identified Spartacus and-. _God dammit, _Derek thought. _Now, I'm going to have to go to the medical bay._

"Forgive me for having major concerns over the boy in my legal custody," Ozpin said briefly. "But, I must check up on him. How are you?" Derek just groaned, and Ozpin nodded. "Of course. Joan, I believe that you're needed." Joan nodded, and looked at his armor. Spartacus trailed behind her, and rubbed his hands together.

"What you need me to do nurse?" He asked.

"For one," Joan started. "Help me get this chestplate off of him, it's amazing that this isn't damaged." Spartacus lifted Derek's body up, earning an audible groan. Joan slowly lifted the armor off of him, and looked down. "Yeesh. I've had Sparty come to me after getting hit by a train and it didn't look this bad."

"I only got grazed," Spartacus argued.

"Whatever," Joan said. She looked over the chipped scales, and started to waive her hand over his chest. A white glow was evident, and Derek could feel his scales start to patch up. Joan paused for a moment, and then looked down at him.

"Anymore, and my aura would start to replace your own," she explained. "Sorry, but this is a no-can-do. On the brightside, you have skipped the step where you can't eat solid foods." Derek groaned, and Joan looked at his team. "Mind me hanging around? I've only ever healed humans and Faunus, so I really don't know how this'll turn out." Monica nodded very quickly, and pulled up two chairs for them.

"Who could of done this to the dragon?" Spartacus muttered.

"There is only one person that I ever knew that was capable of this kind of power," Ozpin said softly. "And I tried to get to your fight in time to stop him."

"You knew?" Derek groaned angrily. Well, as angrily as a seriously wounded person could sound.

"Yes, I knew the Black Knight when he was a student at Beacon. But, I came now to make sure that you were okay."

"What's his deal?" Gwen asked. "He didn't seem motivated by revenge, nor really anything else. It was a sense of, desire to win."

"You are correct," Ozpin said. "I sought him out of an old home, and offered him a spot at Beacon. He agreed, but left shortly after passing initiation. The competition didn't interest him enough. I should of guessed that your recent accomplishments would attract him to us. No matter, he will leave us alone for now. I feel as though you didn't match his quality check the second time around. So for now, we must prepare for Cinder and her attack."

"Why?" Derek groaned.

"Because whatever it is that they're going to do, they will do it soon."

**End: So the chapters will remain at a fairly short length until I fix that as a writer. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.**


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